
Class 
Book. 



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COPYRIGHT DEPOSE 



Exterior Painting 



A Series of Practical Treatises on 

MATERIAL, TOOLS AND APPLIANCES USED 
THE PAINT SHOP AND ITS ARRANGEMENT 
THE PREPARING AND MIXING OF PAINT 
MAKING OF TINTS; THE APPLYING OF PAINT 
PAINTING AND REPAIRING WOODEN BUILD- 
INGS; PAINTING POOR SURFACES AND OLD 
WOODEN BUILDINGS WHICH WERE NEVER 
PAINTED; THE PAINTING OF IRON BUILDINGS 
AND SURFACES; PAINTING GALVANIZED IRON 
SURFACES; THE PAINTING AND REPAINTING 
OF BRICK BUILDINGS AND FLATTING. 



Each Treatise is followed with Test Questions 
: : : for the Student : : : 



By F. MAIRE 
Author of Modern Painters' Cyclopedia 



ILLUSTRATED 




CHICAGO' 

Frederick J. Drake & Company 

PUBLISHERS 



M 









Copyright 1910 

BY 

Frederick J. Drake & Co. 



©WA275C IT 

/ 

.'V: , , *fc 



Exterior Painting 

INTRODUCTION TO THE RED SERIES MANUALS 



It is a self-evident fact easily ascertained 
by any one who will take the trouble to 
do so, that if we are to produce our own 
mechanics here on American soil, it must 
be through another process than that which 
has been regarded as good enough in the 
past— apprenticeship. 

Our young men will not stand to go 
through the one or two years of menial 
drudgery usually attached to the learning 
of most trades, but more especially to that 
of painting, decorating, and paper hang- 
ing. Besides, they know full well that the 
master painter himself has no time to spare 
that he can devote to teaching them the 
17 



18 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

trade; that the foreman has possibly still 
less, and that the journeyman will not, even 
when qualified to do so, which is not very 
often the case. 

Therefore, the uncertain catch-it-as-you- 
can mode of learning the painting and al- 
lied trades in vogue at the present time, 
presents no attraction to the up-to-date 
young man. 

He knows well and fully realizes that the 
little that he may learn of it in a three- or 
four-year term of apprenticeship could 
very easily be obtained inside of as many 
months of connected study, with the conse- 
quence that he keeps away and is unwilling 
to bind himself to years of useless drudgery 
and does not learn our trade, even when 
his natural inclinations and tastes strongly 
incline him to do so if it could be made 
more congenial to him. 

The general public is beginning to be 
aware of these conditions, and already a 
cry is beginning to be heard over the whole 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 19 

country demanding that special schools of 
instruction be established by State and 
municipal aid, and already— in many of our 
larger cities at least— industrial and man- 
ual training schools have and are being es- 
tablished. 

Besides these, numerous correspondence 
schools have also been established for the 
purpose of teaching trades. 

While certain forms of knowledge can 
be obtained by the above system is no doubt 
true, it must be admitted that in the va- 
rious trades connected with painting, deco- 
rating, or paper hanging, they have not 
proved of much value, as aside of the 
technical knowledge imparted by the text- 
books used in connection with these schools, 
the rest must be developed at home by 
actual work— the distance and the very 
slow process of correction, and, as in paint- 
ing, the impossibility of even presenting 
these home studies for examination and 
correction, renders correspondence schools 



20 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

of but little practical value in the trades 
mentioned, aside of the possibility of send- 
ing out for correction of a few drawings or 
samples of letter formation, etc., wbicli are 
not really actual work, as that is too bulky 
and the cost would be too great an under- 
taking for the average student— the time 
required to receive corrections and advice 
even if it were possible to send out bulky, 
actual work, would prove the process of 
learning to be so slow as to disgust the av- 
erage student, and the cost attached to such 
methods must forever bar them from gen- 
eral use for trades where the students must 
be shown. 

With a view or helping out all such 
young or even old who desire information 
regarding trades, this series of manuals 
has been gotten up. 

Each one will treat upon same special 
or separate branch in the several trades. 
The student will find the subject-matter has 
been arranged in graded lessons as far as 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 21 

possible, taking up the matter concerned 
at the base or root of it, gradually develop- 
ing the same onward to its completion. 
Each manual will have a number of ques- 
tions at the end of each lesson which will 
make them of great value to instructors 
who teach these trades in industrial or 
manual training schools and they no doubt 
will gladly welcome their advent. 

The author himself being an instructor 
in such schools (The Chicago School of 
Painting, Decorating and Paperhanging) , 
has almost had the publication of these 
manuals forced upon him, at least such as 
are directly in line with the branches taught 
in his school, as there is no literature in 
existence today, published in such a form 
as is needed and available for the purpose 
of teaching these trades in graded lessons 
with questions on same. . 

For the student who cannot attend these 
schools, it will take in a measure the place 
of the "correspondence schools" and at so 



22 EXTEEIOR PAINTING 

much less expense in dollars and cents, that 
he will hardly feel it. 

The low prices made for such manuals 
of special information are made possible 
only by the anticipation of large sales and 
the whole series when- completed, will not 
cost as much as many single books which 
treat the same subject matter from the 
standpoint of the trained mechanic and in- 
tended for such but for which the student 
would have little use. 

The author has been careful to avoid all 
ambiguity in his presentation of methods 
and of the explanations given for doing 
work in these manuals; but he does not 
claim infallibility and no doubt some errors 
will find their way and escape detection in 
time to correct them before publication. 
He will take it kindly from anyone who may 
notice any, to have them write him of such 
as they may notice and if found right, the 
proper corrections will be made in an ' ' er- 
rata' ' page, which will be inserted in sub- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 23 

sequent editions. His desire is that these 
manuals in so far as he is personally con- 
nected with them, shall contain only abso- 
lutely correct information concerning the 
subject-matter under consideration. 



24 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

PREFACE 

The subject-matter treated in this man- 
ual under the heading of ' ' Exterior Paint- 
ing/ ' will describe the reasons why paint- 
ing is done upon surfaces exposed to the 
inclemencies of the weather and by grad- 
uated steps explain the various tools and 
appliances needed in doing the work as 
well as their proper manipulations and will 
then proceed to their application on the 
various surfaces and material which are 
used in house construction, giving reasons 
why the painting is done in the way de- 
scribed in each instance. 

The text will be divided up into para- 
graphs, or series of several, bearing upon 
one point only of the subject-matter and 
each will be numbered in order that if 
there should be a necessity to refer to the 
same, it will be an easy matter to look them 
up. The questions also will be numbered 
with the same numbers as that of the para- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 25 

graphs which contain the answer, thus 
enabling the student to verify if his own 
answers are correct. 

LESSON I 

REASONS FOR PAINTING THE EXTERIOR OP 
BUILDINGS 

1. The reasons for the painting of the 
exterior of the surface of the various ma- 
terial used in the construction of buildings 
are varied and many of them. The ele- 
ments composing our atmosphere: oxygen, 
hydrogen, etc., are very active in entering 
and combining with other elements for 
which they have an affinity. This new com- 
bination usually is produced at the ex- 
pense of that of the material with which 
atmospheric air combines; thus hydrogen 
in the shape of moisture lodges in the pores 
of wood, causing its decay, by destroying 
the tenacity of its fibres, with the assistance 
of oxygen. 



26 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

Hydrogen likewise paves the way for 
the quick action of oxygen in combining 
with iron and causing it to rust. Rust it- 
self being an oxide of iron. 

As air is more or less loaded with gases, 
especially sulphurous gases, which are gen- 
erated in many localities, acts as a carrier 
for it and by aid of its hydrogen, cause them 
to enter the pores of marble and all sorts 
of stone of lime formation, causing their 
more or less speedy destruction by the sul- 
phuric acid's agency with which they are 
loaded. 

Moisture alone will in time cause the 
hardest stones to decay, simply by its being 
turned to ice. The slow but sure forcing 
of a small crack rilled with water, which 
has been turned to ice by cold, will in time 
split the strongest granite. 

Therefore, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphurous 
gases conveyed and carried by moisture 
for which sulphuric acid has a great affin- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 27 

ity, may be said to be the main causes of 
decay in unpainted material. 

2. It was shown in the preceding para- 
graph what were the leading causes which 
produced decay in the various material 
used in building construction. It stands 
to reason that the remedy must be of such 
a nature that it will interpose itself be- 
tween the surface that is intended to be 
protected and its enemy— the atmosphere 
or rather the elements composing it and 
other enemies which do not enter directly 
in its composition, but which they dissemi- 
nate and carry. 

In other words, it must cover the sur 
faces to be protected and prevent the ac- 
cess of the elements to all parts exposed to 
their action. 

This is really what paint does and but 
for this beneficial covering, the life of all 
surfaces of wood and iron especially, would 
be but short-lived. Its covering if proper- 
ly applied, will form an impervious coat- 



28 EXTERIOB PAINTING 

ing over the surfaces it has been applied 
to and the elements will have to destroy it 
first before they can have access to the 
material thus protected. 

The material composing the paint in it- 
self would not accomplish the object of 
preservation but for the thinner used for 
its application— i. e.— linseed oil. It is 
chiefly through its agency that the pigment 
becomes hardened into a solid covering 
over whatever it has been applied. Linseed 
oil and several others also known as " fixed 
oils, ' ' have the property of combining with 
oxygen and of forming a hard waterproof 
rubber-like gum, which has sufficient elas- 
ticity to conform itself to the contraction 
and expansion of the various material used 
in house construction. 

3. Another very important reason why 
buildings should be painted exteriorly is 
that of beautifying the buildings thus 
treated. Without paint it was seen that 
they would soon decay, but besides this de- 



EXTEKIOR PAINTING 29 

cay and while it is going on the bright sur- 
face of the new material is becoming more 
and more an object of ugliness, plainly in- 
dicative of the deterioration slowly taking 
place on its surface, and instead of being 
an object of pleasure to look at, it becomes 
an eye-sore. "While painting for beauty 
is only of secondary importance (preserva- 
tion being the first object), to many persons 
it is considered of even of greater impor- 
tance than merely that of preservation. 
To people of means, who can afford to 
have everything they own looking at their 
best, it may well be to them of more im- 
portance than the other. As an embellish- 
ment for surfaces, painting has been re- 
sorted to for a countless number of years, 

QUESTIONS 

1. What causes the decay of unpainted 
building material upon surfaces exposed to 
the weather? 

2. In what manner does paint protect 



SO EXTERIOR PAINTING 

the surface of material over which it has 
been applied? 

3. What other good reason exists for 
the painting of exteriors of buildings? 

LESSON II 

MATERIAL 

4. Under this heading "material," 
every thing that is required or useful in 
painting must be included— not only the 
pigments and vehicles used in preparing 
the paint itself, but the accessories which 
are necessary for preparing the surfaces 
for painting. 

5. Under the name of "Colors, what 
they are and what to expect of them," a 
manual is published which covers the 
ground of material used in painting much 
more fully; their derivation, manufacture 
and chief points of usefulness and pecu- 
liarities ; therefore, it will not be necessary 
to go into any details regarding any of 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 31 

them here and the student is referred to it 
for such information as he desires concern- 
ing any useful pigment or color. A mere 
enumeration is all that is necessary there- 
fore for present use. 

6. For the purpose of facilitating the 
study of pigments and of helping the stu- 
dent to hunt up quickly information con- 
cerning any of them, they have been di- 
vided up, according to their color into 
seven general groups. 

7. 1, The whites; 2, the blacks; 3, the 
blues ; 4, the browns ; 5, the greens ; 6, the 
reds; 7, the yellows. 

8. The useful colors composing the 
white group consist of: "White lead, zinc 
white or zinc oxide; whiting, kaolin, gyp- 
sum, white, silicate and Baryta white. 

9. The most useful blacks are: Lamp 
black, ivory black, gas black, charcoal black, 
graphite. 

10. The chiefly used blues are : Ultrama- 
rine blue, Chinese and Prussian blue, Co- 



32 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

bait blue, ceruleum, and many other of lit- 
tle use for exterior painting. 

11. The browns are very useful in ex- 
terior painting and some of the most use- 
ful tints are made from the following : Eaw 
and burnt umber; raw and burnt Sienna; 
Van Dyke brown; the so called metallic 
browns. 

12. The green pigments, useful in out- 
door painting, are not numerous and con- 
sist of Chrome green, Cobalt green and 
green ultramarine, the many others being 
only of interest to artists. 

13. The red pigments are of great use 
in the preparation of tints and also in their 
self colors for many purposes in outside 
painting, the following list comprises the 
most useful ones: Vermillion, Venetian 
reds ; Indian reds ; the red lakes, red lead 
and red ochres. 

14. The yellow group also furnishes 
some good pigments for outside painting 
and some of them would be hard to spare, 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 33 

the useful ones consist of the many varie- 
ties of Ocher, Chrome yellow, etc.; the 
many others are of little use, if any, in ex- 
terior painting. 

15. The list has been purposely cut 
down, as a large number of pigments of 
doubtful utility even to artists and of none 
whatever to an outside painter, are to be 
found in all lists of colors and they would 
only create confusion in the mind of the 
student in the present connection at least. 
As stated before, for fuller details concern- 
ing any of the pigments named and of many 
others not included in this list, the student 
is referred to the manual of this red series 
entitled, "Colors." 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON II 

4. Define what is meant by material. 

5. Give the summary of "how the sub- 
ject-matter will be arranged in this les- 
son. 



34 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

6. In how many groups or classes are 
pigments divided? 

7. What are these groups? 

8. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the white group. 

9. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the black group. 

10. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the black group. 

11. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the brown group. 

12. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the green group. 

13. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the red group. 

14. Name the principal pigments com- 
posing the yellow group. 

15. Some general remarks concerning 
the above lists. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 35 

LESSON III 

VEHICLES OR THINNERS 

16. In the previous lesson the pigments 
or the solid portion of paint has been re- 
viewed. They are usually ground dry and 
powdered as finely as needed; but sueh 
powders would not adhere to the surface 
of a building. They have to be mixed up 
with some liquids in order that they can 
be brushed and applied properly. They 
could be mixed with water and sometimes 
they are for interior work, but it stands to 
reason that this would not do for outside 
painting, as after the water had evapo- 
rated, the pigment would be in the same 
condition that it was before and rains or 
winds would wash or blow off the dry pow- 
der from the building. 

17. The thinner or vehicle for paint 
must possess the property of a binder in 
order to fix the pigment firmly and hold it 
onto the surfaces over which the paint has 



36 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

been applied. The " fixed oils' ' are won- 
derfully well adapted to the purpose of 
paint mixing. These oils have the prop- 
erty of absorbing oxygen from the atmos- 
phere and at the same time and by virtue 
of this absorption of solidifying and of 
being turned into a waterproof elastic rub- 
ber-like gum which is really "the protec- 
tion 9 ' which painting gives to the surfaces 
over which it is applied. It seals them by 
entering their pores or minute openings, fill- 
ing them solidly and spreading water and 
air proofing coats over them, which pre- 
vents the injurious action of the elements 
as noted in lesson I. The student is again 
referred to the manual entitled, "Colors" 
(what they are and what to expect of 
them), in order to find more minute de- 
tails as to their peculiarities, dryings, etc. 
18. The only fixed oil which will be 
noted here is that king of them all— Lin- 
seed oil. As it is by far the best, the most 
useful and the cheapest of all of them, it 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 37 

is the only one which will be examined, as 
all the others while of use for certain speci- 
fic purposes in interior painting— none no 
matter how costly— possess such good bind- 
ing qualities as linseed oil and therefore 
can well be omitted and dispensed with. 

19. Raw linseed oil is the only condi- 
tion of that oil which is proper for the 
painting of exteriors. In that state it is 
elastic and when dry, it will give sufficient- 
ly and adapt itself to the expansions and 
contractions of the surfaces painted with 
it, that there will be no cracking of the 
paint, as would follow if it did not possess 
the proper amount of elasticity. 

20. Boiled linseed oil at one time was 
used much more extensively than it is 
now. Boiling linseed oil renders it more 
drying, but its elasticity is destroyed by 
the process and painting done with it is 
much more liable to crack; therefore, its 
use for outside painting should be discour- 
aged. The boiling of linseed oil has an- 



38 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

other bad effect as it makes it less pene- 
trating, so that if it should be used in the 
priming coat for instance, it would not go 
into the pores near as deeply as the raw oil 
does with consequently less tenacity and 
more likelihood of scaling off. 

21. Volatile oils are also used as thin- 
ners or vehicles in paint mixing. They are 
entirely unlike the fixed oils in their prop- 
erties. It was seen that the fixed oils be- 
came dried or turned into an elastic water- 
proof rubber like gum which constituted 
the real protection of exterior painted sur- 
faces. The fixed oils do not evaporate, 
but are changed into this gum-like con- 
dition by oxidation. On the contrary, the 
volatile oils do evaporate nearly or so 
much so, that it can be said that they evapo- 
rate entirely away, so that in so far as act- 
ing as a binder for the pigments, there is 
but little more if any than there would be 
in using spring water in their place. 

Their use in paint mixing is a mechani- 



EXTERI0E PAINTING 39 

cal one— they dilute the linseed oil and by 
their quick evaporation cause it to set 
quicker and to lay more evenly. In cold 
weather, by rendering it less viscid and 
more penetrating reasonable quantities 
mixed with it are of real benefit— even in 
the priming coat for it will enable the other- 
wise viscid linseed oil to enter the pores 
more deeply— this is true only in cold 
weather and even then but little should be 
used, just enough to accomplish its legiti- 
mate employment. 

In all but very cold freezing weather, 
its use should not be resorted to in warm 
weather for the last or finishing coat. As 
more will be said concerning such use when 
the operations of putting on the paint is 
reached ; the above will suffice for the pres- 
ent. 

22. Turpentine is the chief one of the 
volatile oils used in painting. It is de- 
rived from our own American yellow pine. 
It is however, becoming scarcer and scarcer 



40 EXTERIOB PAINTING 

year by year and substitutes will fore© 
their way into use and are already doing 
so. 

23. The various volatile oils derived 
from crude petroleum by distillation, are 
used and have been used for some time. 
Their evil smell is against them. Benzine, 
naphtha, and even gasoline are utilized in 
paint mixing, but as long as they are not 
more completely deodorized, it will be hard 
for them to find their way into general use 
as long as turpentine can be procured even 
at higher figures than it sells for now. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON III 

16. Some general remarks concerning 
thinners and vehicles. 

17. What is said of fixed oils? 

18. What is said of linseed oil? 

19. What are the properties of raw lin- 
seed oil? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 41 

20. What are the properties of boiled 
linseed oil? 

21. What are volatile oils and what are 
their uses in painting? 

22. What is said of turpentine? 

23. What is said of volatile oils of pe- 
troleum derivation? 

LESSON IV 

ACCESSORY MATERIAL 

24. In lessons II and III the material 
required for the proper mixing of paint 
was enumerated and so much of their prop- 
erties explained as was necessary to com- 
prehend their various functions in mak- 
ing up paint to apply to exterior surfaces. 

The following are not used in the prepar- 
ation of paint mixtures, but are useful ac- 
cessories either in preparing for the paint- 
ing proper, or to make it look better. 

25. Frequently the lumber used in 
wooden buildings is anything but perfect ; 



42 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

it usually has many knots and parts which 
show an exudation of rosin or gmn ; paint- 
ing done over such parts will not remain 
in a sightly condition very long before this 
resinous matter will come through the 
painting and not only greatly mar its ap- 
pearance, hut it will destroy it and cause 
it to scale off the surface. Therefore, it 
is of the greatest importance to stop this 
injurious action and this is now universal- 
ly accomplished by coating over such places 
with some substances which will seal them 
up and prevent the exudation named. 

26. While the spirit solution of shellac 
which is almost universally used for this 
purpose is not perfection, when its appli- 
cation has been well done, it is compara- 
tively safe to do painting over it. It is 
usually bought ready prepared for use 
under the name of "Shellac varnish,' ' but 
it is easily prepared by simply taking wood 
or denatured grain alcohol and the shellac 
itself (the orange is the best and strong- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 43 

est), let the two macerate for a few days 
in a moderately warm place and the alco- 
hol will dissolve it completely if not sur- 
charged. About three and one-half pounds 
of shellac wjll make five quarts of varnish 
with one gallon of alcohol. This will give 
a fairly stout solution. If given much thin- 
ner than in the proportion named, it may 
be too weak to rely upon to stop the ooz- 
ing out of the sap or rosin. 

27. Putty is another one of the acces- 
sories which must be used in levelling and 
filling up nail and other holes after the 
priming of wooden buildings, and also 
cracks, and poor joints. It is also useful 
in brick painting after the priming coat in 
levelling holes in poorly made brick as 
well as filling up the mortar lines where the 
mortar has been unevenly put on. Putty is 
usually bought ready prepared, but can be 
easily made by simply taking finely bolted 
whiting and adding thereto sufficiently of 
raw linseed oil to make the mass of th# 



44 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

right consistency for proper working under 
the putty knife. 

29. Sandpaper and steelwool are use- 
ful adjuncts to level up painted surfaces. 
It is required frequently in outdoor paint- 
ing to cut down dirt and dust which the 
winds have blown upon the painting be- 
fore it was dry and also to smooth down 
puttying, etc. This completes the list of 
absolutely necessary accessory material. 

QUESTIONS LESSON IV 

24. Some general remarks concerning 
accessory material. 

25. What is said about knots and resin- 
ous parts in wooden buildings ? 

26. How are spirit solutions of shellac 
made? 

27. What is said regarding putty? 

28. What is said concerning sandpa- 
per? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 45 

LESSON V 

TOOLS AND APPLIANCES USED IN PAINTING 

29. There are two groups of tools 
needed by painters. First, the ones used 
for applying the paint which consist chief- 
ly of brushes; second, the tools needed in 
preparing for the painting or required at 
any stage of it. 

The appliances are devices which are 
used to facilitate the painting or any opera- 
tion connected with it or in the preparation 
of material used in painting. The bulk of 
it consists in more or less ingenious de- 
vices for getting at the surfaces to be 
painted. 

30. The principal tools as stated in the 
preceding paragraphs are brushes. 

In the matter of their selection one must 
not be led to think that because some 
brushes are listed cheap that they will 
prove as economical in the end as much 
higher priced ones. Quality is of far more 



46 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

importance than mere price. If for in- 
stance a wall brush can be bought for say 
$8 per dozen and a brush will last eight 
or ten days in condition fit for the proper 
application of paint, one must not suppose 
that another of the same width at $20 per 
dozen is high in cost as compared with the 
other. The latter will probably be in pret- 
ty fair condition after a month or five 
weeks of constant work, but this is not the 
whole story by any means, for the man 
who handles it will do one-third more work 
with greater ease to himself than the one 
handling the poorer brush. It is an easy 
matter to figure for oneself what this ex- 
tra and better work represents. On the 
average it will be fully twenty-five per 
cent greater or in other words, if wages 
are $4 per day, it represents a saving of 
$1 per day or more than the first cost of 
the poorer brush; now multiply that by 
thirty and you will readily see that the low 
cost brush is a very dear investment in 



EXTEEIOR PAINTING 



47 



the end. The quality of the work done will 
he hetter, so that the advice is given, not to 
he misled into the huying of low-priced 
hrnshes, thinking that there will he a sav- 
ing in doing so. 




Fig. l 
Round Paint 




Fig. 2 
Oval Paint 



48 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



32. The brushes mostly used in exterior 
painting are but few, although the quality 
and sizes of each are many,, in order to ac- 
commodate the ideas of all kinds of 
people. 

The ones which are probably mostly used 
are the wall brushes, of which some are 
round as in figure 1, some oval as in fig- 




Fig. 3 
Flat Wall Metal Bound 

Tire 2, and either wire or twine bound, or 
set in rubber. The sizes run from 1-0 to 
8-0. 

Wall brushes used for the same purpose 
are made in the flat shapes and are bound 
by metal strips on their wooden heads, as 
shown in figures 3 and 4, or by nailing to 
the heads by leather strips, when they are 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



49 




Fig. 4 
Flat Wall Metal Bound 




Fig. 5 
Stucco Wall Leather Bound 




Fig. 6 
Flat Wall Rubber Set 



50 



EXTEBIOK PAINTING 



then known as stucco wall brushes as in 
figure 5, or set in rubber with a steel clasp 
encasing it as in figure 6. 

The flat wall brushes are sold accord- 
ing to their widths and usually are graded 
by half inches, from two inches to four 
and one-half inches wide. 

The duster is an all important brush in 
exterior painting as dust from the ground 
and sand paper dust must be carefully re- 
moved before applying the paint. Figure 



.--:.■ 




Fig. 7 
Round Painters Duster 



7 shows the round duster and figure 8 the 
flat forms of that tool. They are usually 
made in two or three sizes and in many 
qualities of the stock used. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



51 



The sash tool properly speaking is a 
small oval or flat brush and our figure 9 




Fig. 8 
Flat Painters Duster 




Fig. 9 
Sash Tool 



will suffice to illustrate the shape of that 
brush. The oval also comes chisel edged. 
The oval sash tools usually from No. 6 to 
No. 9, the size increasing with the numbers, 
the flat 1 to 2 inches wide. 



52 



EXTEKIOR PAINTING 



At the present time many prefer to use 
a flat brush for the purpose and any of 
the inch, one inch and a half, or two inches, 
chisel edged, double thick varnish brushes 
answer very well for this. Figure 10 shows 
the usual shape of the chisel edged var- 
nish brushes used as sash tools. 




Fig. 10 
Flat Varnish Sash Tool 



In the preparing of iron surfaces for 
painting, it is frequently required that 
rusty spots be removed from them and for 
this purpose wire brushes have been de- 
vised, shown under figures 11, 12 and 13. 

It is sometimes necessary to make lines 
on brick work in imitation of mortar lines 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



53 



and sometimes in imitation of mortar lines 
on stone work. Figure 14 shows one used 
on the longer lines, a shorter one of the 




Fig. 11 
Wire For Cleaning Iron Rust 




Fig. 12 



ig. 13 



54 EXTEMOE PAINTING 

same shape is used in marking out the sep- 
arate brick. 




Fig. 14 

A few flat bristle fitches such as are 
shown in figure 15, will be found useful in 
getting at quirks and runlets, where an 
ordinary brush would not reach readily. 

The above are the brushes ordinarily 
used in outside painting and while no doubt 
many others are or could be used, these 
will suffice to produce any other than orna- 
mental painting. This forming the subject- 
matter for another volume of the red se- 
ries will not be touched upon at the pres- 
ent, as all the available space will be needed 
in connection with the subject-matter. 

It is very important to have a good 
brushkeeper in which the brushes can be 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



55 




Fig. 15 Artists Flat Fitches 



56 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

suspended in water or raw linseed oil, so 
that the end of the bristles shall not touch 
the bottom. There are a number of good 
ones ready made; but a homemade one 
which will insure the requisites demanded 
of them is fully as good. 

32. Putty knives and scraping knives 
are required also— the former in order to 
fill up and smooth over nail holes and cracks 
in new work and old in wooden buildings 
and mortar joints in brick or stone— the 
latter in scraping off old paint when re- 
moving the old coats. (See figs. 16 and 17.) 

Palette knives also are useful tools to 
have about in examining pigments and in 
triturating them in mixing tints and many 
other uses for which they are handy but 
not indispensable. 

Strainers and other tinware, better 
known as painter's tinware, shown in fig- 
ure 18, are articles to have on hand when 
needed, while they are not absolutely re- 
quired, as substitutes can be used instead. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



57 




•HE.HI&GtLiY 





D 



ill 


if 


HP 


eISII 

Fig. 16 
s Putty 










Painter 


Knives 



58 



EXTEKIOR PAINTING 




Fig. 17 
Painter's Scrapers 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



59 



A sand bellow is aiso a tool which can be 
dispensed with, but throwing sand by hand 
does not do the work near so well, nor so 
fast; One is shown in figure 19, but there 
are many other forms of it which are fully 
as good as the one shown. 






Fig. 18 
Painter's Tinware 




Fig. 19 
Bellows Sander 



60 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON V 

29. Some general remarks concerning 
tools and appliances used in exterior paint- 
ing. 

30. What is said concerning brushes 
and other tools? 

31. Name and describe the leading 
brushes used in exterior painting. 

32. Name other tools used in connection 
with exterior painting. 

LESSON VI 

APPLIANCES USED IN EXTERIOR PAINTING 

33. The most important appliances that 
are used in connection with exterior paint- 
ing are those which enable the painter to 
get at his surfaces in order to be able to 
paint them. So ladders of various sorts, 
swing scaffolds, etc., are the most impor- 
tant ones among them and as such deserve 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 61 

the first place in describing these appli- 
ances. 

34. The ladders are either known as 
single where only one is used, or as exten- 
sion, where two or more are connected to- 
gether and can be extended up at will. 

The single as well as the extension lad- 
ders should be made from strong well se- 
lected Norway pine, which should be flaw- 
less and perfect. It is better to pay a little 
more per foot to make assurance doubly 
sure that the workmanship as well as the 
material is of the best. Second growth 
hickory rungs which should only penetrate 
one-third of the sides and then be screwed 
in, are the only ones that are safe when 
fastened in that way. 

Fig. 20 represents the single ladder. 

Fig. 21 is typical of the extension lad- 
ders. 

Fig. 22 shows a single ladder with a 
hook fastened at the top, by means of which 



62 



EXTERIOB PAINTING 



the ladder can be securely fastened to the 
ridge of the roof. 




Tig. 20 
Single Ladder 

35. But where buildings are more than 
two stories up from the ground, it is im- 
practical to do the painting from ladders 
and' when over three stories, impossible to 
do so; therefore, a swing scaffold must be 
used for this purpose. This consists of a 
platform which may be a ladder covered 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



63 




Fig. 21 

Extension Ladder 

over with planks, but better one made espe- 
cially for the purpose. At the ends, the 
crosspieces or stirrups may be made of 
iron or good inch manilla rope, into the 
ends of which a single block is fastened and 
with a double block at the top through 
which a good strong manilla rope of not 
less than three-quarters inch in thickness, 
is passed but better a seven-eighths or even 



64 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 




Fig. 22 
Roof Ladder 

an inch one. Each end must have the 
same double and single blocks, as other- 
wise they might not work harmoniously. 
The double blocks are fastened into the cor- 
nice hooks, which hook over on the flat side 
of the roof. Where the roof is slanting, 
however, it will be necessary to have some 
secure device upon which the end of the 
hook may rest. There are many kinds 
made and for sale ; the one shown in figure 



EXTEKIOR PAINTING 65 

23 is about as good and safe a one as can 
be found. 




Fig. 23 
Roof Bracket 

In figure 24 a complete swing scaffold 
is shown ready for operation. 

36. In working over porches or piazzas 
and under them, it is necessary to have 
step ladders and trestles to support walk- 
ing planks. 

Fig. 25. Shows several forms of step- 
ladders that are safe and made with a view 
to stand the hard usage they receive at the 
hands of painters, some can even be used 
as trestles. 



66 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



Fig. 26. Illustrates a walking adjus- 
table walking plank, used between two tres- 
tles. 

37. When painting low buildings, it will 
be found very convenient and at the same 
time a speedier way of doing work, to have 




Fig. 24 
Swing Scaffold 

two ladders against the side of a build- 
ing ; using the rungs as a support for brack- 
ets, better known as ladder jacks, through 
which walking boards are passed through, 
upon which the workman can handle a 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



67 



wide stretch of painting at a time, saving 
much time in the moving of ladders and 
enabling him to do the work with more 
ease to himself. Figure 26 illustrates the 
form of ladder jacks of which there are a 




Fig. 25 
Extension Plank 

great number in the market. 

The above list contains all the really im- 
portant appliances needed to reach any 
and all the surfaces usually in the painting 
of buildings outside. The list could be 



68 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 



swelled to many times the size it is by add- 
ing the many special devices that come out 
every year and while some of them occa- 
sionally prove useful, the majority of them 
do not prove so to the extent of forcing 
the old ones out of business. 



PA T ENT PENDIM9 




Fig. 26 
Ladder Jack 



QUESTIONS ON LESSON VI 

33. What is said concerning appliances 
used for outside painting! 

34. Give a description of the ladders. 

35. What is said concerning the swing 
scaffold? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 69 

36. Give a description of step-ladders, 
trestles and walking boards. 

37. What is said of ladder jacks ! 

LESSON VII 

THE PAINT SHOP AND ITS ARRANGEMENT 

38. In order to do ontside or any other 
kind of painting for that matter in a pro- 
fessional way at least, a location should be 
secured for the taking care of the material 
and tools, appliances, the mixing and com- 
pounding of paint, tints, etc., to say nothing 
of the selling of material to customers, 
which is a purely commercial affair, but 
which may or may not be connected with 
the shop. 

The paint shop need not be an expensive 
affair, but when it is not connected with 
a store, may be located in some outhouse 
or loft. The practice of many is to locate 
it in some basement where the light is de- 
ficient and frequently where there is much 



70 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

dampness; this is altogether wrong, the 
shop should be where there is good light 
and it should be dry, especially where there 
is much varnishing done and repainting of 
blinds, the latter requiring the best of light 
in order that the work may not be slighted. 

It was stated that the shop should not 
be damp ; for if it is, mildew will surely de- 
stroy all paper packages and cause varn- 
ishing to go wrong, to say nothing about 
the unhealthy conditions which go with 
such, nor of the unpleasantness of the sur- 
roundings. 

39. The shop should be shelved and 
a portion of the wall space should be di- 
vided up into drawers for the holding of 
dry colors, etc., the shelves being used for 
the holding of canned goods and such tools 
as cannot be readily put into drawers. 

Mixing tubs for the breaking up of white 
lead and the mixing up of tints should be 
provided and these should always be prop- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 71 

erly cleaned and made ready to be used 
again as soon as they have been emptied. 

A lye barrel should also be pro- 
vided into which all paint skins, pot clean- 
ings, etc., can be dumped in. 

A good sized keg or vessel should be 
provided into which all leavings or surplus 
paint remaining after a job has been com- 
pleted, can be poured in and from which 
many jobs can be primed to good advan- 
tage. Eeally two such vessels should be 
used in every shop— one into which all 
paint with a preponderance of linseed oil 
should be poured and the other to be used 
for the dumping in of paints containing 
much turpentine or other volatile oils. 

40. It is important to know the quantity 
of material that is used on every job, there- 
fore a good scale should be provided 
wherewith to weigh everything that goes 
out on every job and a record should be 
made of the same. When paint is returned, 
it too, should be weighed and it should be 



72 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

credited to the job whence it was returned. 
It is needless to say that in returned paint 
a deduction must be made, for it is not as 
valuable as it was when prepared for it in 
the first place. 

41. There should be a set of books pro- 
vided, wherein a record of all transactions 
may be made and the card system of ac- 
counts will be found the simplest and easi- 
est, as each separate deal can be found 
in their fullness in short order without the 
having to consult half a dozen separate 
books. It will also be found much the best 
system in keeping track of the employees 
and of their doings. 

42. It is very important that there 
should be plenty of water handy in paint 
shops as well as sinks into which washings 
can be performed ; and while the same may 
be provided in other ways such as carrying 
water from a well or cistern, etc., yet con- 
siderable valuable time is thus wasted and 
in cities where water works exist, it is a 



EXTEBIOR PAINTING 73 

very poor plan to resort to the makeshifts 
named above. 

In country towns where there is no water 
system, of course such devices as will ac- 
complish the object, must be put up with. 

Shops should also have a stove, either a 
gas stove or a gasoline or kerosene, 
for the preparation of water colors and 
the many objects which really pertain 
more to the painting of interiors than to 
that of exteriors. Under that head more 
will be said as to their use and the reader 
is referred to the volume of the red series, 
entitled "Interior Painting and Decorat- 
ing in Oil and Watercolors, ' ' for a fuller 
complement for the paint shop. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON VII. 

38. Give a description of what a paint 
shop should be. 

39. "What fixtures are needed in a paint 
shop? 



74 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

40. What other fixtures are useful in a 
paint shop ? 

41. What is said concerning the keep- 
ing of accounts in the paint shop ? 

42. What is said concerning water, 
sinks, stoves, etc.? 

LESSON ^III 

THE PREPARING AND MIXING OF PAINT 

43. In order to better understand the 
application of paint to outside or any other 
kind of painting, it will first be necessary 
to consider the make up of paint into the 
proper condition for its application. 

It is not intended just at this time to en- 
ter into the merits or demerits of any par- 
ticular pigment entering into the paint 
composition. More will be said however, 
when the various surfaces over which paint 
is applied outside is considered. 

The mixing of pigments and the produc- 
ing of tints by their intermixing will be 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 75 

taken up in a general way. Every painter 
should be familiar with this and he should 
know how to prepare tints as well as ' ' how 
to apply them. ,, 

44. All pigments can be mixed alone by 
themselves with .linseed or other fixed oils 
and will make a paint, but many of the 
pigments have a color which may not be 
desirable nor ornamental, especially for the 
covering of large surfaces upon the ex- 
terior of buildings. While all pigments 
have their uses either by themselves or for 
the making up of tints, but few of them en- 
ter very largely into the compound which 
is usually used for such painting. Fash- 
ion decrees to a certain extent the colors 
or tints which should be used. Some years 
the fad is more on the darker shades and 
again the mode changes to white or very 
light tints. 

45. But be the tints dark or light, they 
require a white base upon which to build 
them. White lead is the only white pig- 



76 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

ment with possibly the exception of zinc 
white, which possesses sufficient opacity or 
covering properties that can be used in 
connection with other pigments for tint 
making, as otherwise the strength of the 
coloring of many of these would require 
enormous quantities of the other semi- 
transparent whites to produce the tints de- 
sired. Besides, all the other white pigments 
aside of lead or zinc would muddy up the 
tints as they do not make perfectly white 
tints when mixed by themselves with lin- 
seed oil. 

For all paint mixing even zinc is but sel- 
dom employed except when used as a cor- 
rective of white lead. So that the base 
of all light tints may be said to be white 
lead. 

46. White lead comes in packages con- 
taining 500, 250, 200, 100, 50, 25 and 12% 
pounds of paste of lead and linseed oil 
ground together. This paste is very stiff 
and must be reduced to a much thinner 



EXTERIOR PAINTIETG 77 

condition before the tints can be made and 
therefore the contents of the lead package 
or so mnch of it as will be required, must 
be mixed up with linseed oil to reduce its 
consistency. This is called the breaking up 
of the lead in the painter's vernacular. 
The mixing tubs which were spoken of in 
paragraph 39, will be required for this pur- 
pose. The process of breaking up the lead 
is simple; all that is required is a strong 
wooden paddle and the addition of linseed 
oil in small quantities at a time with plenty 
of elbow grease in triturating the stiff 
paste so as to make it absorb the linseed 
oil. More linseed oil should be added from 
time to time as it is being absorbed, until 
the mass can be poured out. It should not 
be reduced too thin, however, and should be 
very much stouter and thicker than paint 
is required to be for application. When 
it is in the condition described and all the 
particles of lead have been reduced to a uni- 
form smooth paste, then only is it in the 



78 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

proper condition for the addition of the 
coloring pigments. 

47. The coloring pigments require a 
somewhat different treatment than the 
base. Like the base they should be poured 
out of the cans and linseed oil should be 
added to the paste and the whole stirred up 
together until well amalgamated and of a 
uniform consistency; but instead of stop- 
ping when a rather heavy paint condition 
is attained, as stated for the white lead, the 
thinning with oil should continue until the 
mass will pour out readily. In short, it 
should be thinned even more than is needed 
for application with the brush. 

The reason for this is that when in a 
rather thin condition the coloring pig- 
ment particles will be well divided up and 
will be easily absorbed and assimilated 
with the white lead base, while when left 
in a stiff paste it is difficult to mix it in 
properly and certain portions remain un- 
mixed with the consequence that when 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 79 

taken up by the brush and spread out, such 
will show up of a much darker tone than 
the rest of the shade and it is very difficult 
to attain uniformity, as with a well-thinned 
paste. 

Should there be more pigment thinned 
out than is required for the present pur- 
pose of making a tint, it need not be 
wasted, as the liquid can be poured into 
wide mouth bottles, with covers or any 
other vessel that has a cover, which will 
keep out the dirt. It is the most economi- 
cal manner of handling the contents of the 
small color cans. As it is usually done, as 
much color is taken out of them as will an- 
swer the purpose of the one making the 
tint and the rest to skin up and dry. In 
a few months, if the colors have not been 
used up, half of it will be spoiled, full of 
skins, or hardened and always an aggrava- 
tion to the one who has to use them. 

48. In the making of tints, one is sup- 
posed to know the order in which each 



80 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

pigment entering into its make-up in the 
greatest quantity and the coloring should 
be added to the base in that order. The 
whole should not be poured in at once, but 
very gradually and well stirred up before 
more is added, as it is a very easy matter 
to pour in more color if needed, but im- 
possible to take it out if too much has been 
used. The only way then is to put in more 
lead to lighten it up, but then too much 
paint is thus prepared which means a lot 
of unused paint and a loss. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON VIII 

43. What is said in a general manner 
concerning the preparing and mixing of 
paints and tints! 

44. What is said particularly about the 
mixing of tints? 

45. What is said about the base to build 
the tints upon? 

46. How is the base prepared ready for 
the addition of the coloring? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 81 

47. How should the coloring pigments 
be treated previous to being added to the 



48. How should the coloring pigments 
bo added to the base ? 

LESSON IX 

HOW TO MAKE THE TINTS 

49. It is not the intention of giving the 
student a long list of fancy named tints 
nor to tell him how to make them. He can 
find that information more fully given as 
well as about the peculiarities, provenance, 
etc., of each one of the pigments, in the 
red serie manual, entitled "Colors, What 
They Are and What to Expect from 
Them." But in connection with the sub- 
ject-matter of this manual, he should know 
how to get up the leading tints and shades 
that are used in outside house painting. 

50. The various tints may be grouped 
into the following, according to their hue : 



82 EXTERIOB PAINTING 

The yellow toned tints. 

The reddish toned tints. 

The bluish toned tints. 

The greenish toned tints. 

The blackish toned tints. 

The brown and drab toned tints. 

51. In preparing the tints having a yel- 
low tone, the ochres will be found by far the 
most useful. They are permanent, especial- 
ly those which are natural and which have 
not been doctored up with Chrome yellow 
and they are to be found in many shades, 
giving and making tints with the white 
base of various tones. 

From ochre alone it is possible to make 
a numberless list of tints ranging from 
an ivory white onward in density through 
the cream, light bufTs to the darkest of 
them to nearly the self tone of the ochre. 

52. Next to the ochres, Chrome-yellow 
is the only other pigment which need be 
considered in making tints for outdoor 
use. 'As it is some very pretty effects and 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 83 

tones are made from it alone or in connec- 
tion with ochres. The range of color of 
the Chrome yellow is much greater than 
that of the ochres, as they run the gamut 
from the faintest canary yellow upward 
through the lemons, neutral tones of medi- 
um yellow to light orange and to such dark 
shades of the orange that one would call 
it a red as it partakes so much more of the 
red than it does of the yellow. 

The list of tints and shades that can be 
made from them is innumerable. The 
Chrome yellows when well made are fairly 
permanent except in situations where sul- 
phurous gases are likely to develop. Sun- 
light affect them somewhat too and their 
tints are not so durable as those made from 
ochre. 

53. The reddish tints are not as exten- 
sively used in outdoor painting as the yel- 
lows, but are usually used in connection 
with the yellows to warm up their tones 
and in the making up of the terra cotta 



84 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

shades, also with them. The most perma- 
nent are the colors which owe their coloring 
to iron oxides, such as the Venetian reds. 

The Indian reds are also of this class 
and they produce with a white base a wide 
range of purple and lilac tints, which are 
fairly permanent. 

54. A pure toned blue tint is very sel- 
dom used in the painting of exterior sur- 
faces, the only situation where they are 
used is for the painting of the ceilings of 
porches and piazzas but of a very light 
shade. As adjunct in combination with 
other colors and the producing of com- 
pound tints, they are very useful. 

The ultramarine blue is the most per- 
manent of any. Prussian blue is fairly so, 
but strong sunlight affects it and the tints 
made from it with white lead also. 

55. The greenish tints are much more 
used in outdoor painting than the blue— al- 
though seldom without being toned down 
by the addition of other pigments when 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 85 

they are of a striking positive shade. The 
tints of it mostly used are known under 
the name of olive greens, sage, apple, wil- 
low and a number of other fancy names, 
all, however, being toned down consider- 
ably from their bright original hues. 

The only exception is in the painting 
of blinds with white houses, where the 
brightest and most vivid grass green 
shades are usually selected for the pur- 
pose. 

56. The greys which mainly are reduc- 
tions of some black pigment with white 
lead, are most extensively used where cool 
tones are desired in exterior painting. 
They look clean and where properly bal- 
anced with pure white or very light trim- 
mings, certainly look clean and tasty. 

Lampblack, which is far from being a 
jet black, is the best black (if good) for 
the making of clear toned greys which may 
run from a faint pearl grey through in- 
numerable gradations, up to a dark slate 



86 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

color, simply by the addition of more or 
less white lead. Drop or ivory black makes 
good greys also. Many shades of grey re- 
quire the addition of other coloring pig- 
ments. 

57. The brown or drab shades are also 
very useful in exterior painting and a mul- 
titude of shades belonging to this group are 
used for the purpose. These drab greys 
vary so much in tone and intensity, that it 
would be a hard job of finding a name to 
give to each one that it is possible to make 
from any of the parent color either used 
alone in combination with white lead, or 
blender together with some other addi- 
tional colors. 

Eaw and burnt umber, Van Dyke brown, 
each of them make a line of tints peculiarly 
toned and when combined together and of- 
tentimes when other pigments also enter 
in combination with them, a very long list 
of tints must result of it. 

The above will suffice in order to give 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 87 

the student a very fair idea of how to 
make all the principal tints used in ex- 
terior painting. Nothing has been said 
about the use of self colors as this is sel- 
dom done, excepting upon store fronts or 
on window sash. As they are usually speci- 
fied before hand, this will present no diffi- 
culty even to the beginner. 

QUESTIONS TO LESSON IX 

49. What is said about the scope of this 
lesson? 

50. In how many groups may the many 
various tints be classed in? 

51. What is said concerning the making 
of yellowish tints from ochres ? 

52. What is said concerning the making 
of yellowish tints from chrome yellow? 

53. What is said concerning the making 
of reddish tints ? 

54. What is said concerning the making 
fof bluish tints? 



88 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

55. What is said concerning the making 
of greenish tints? 

56. What is said concerning the making 
of blackish or grey tints? 

57. What is said concerning the making 
of brown and drab brown tints? 

LESSON X 

THE APPLYING OF PAINT 

58. Applying paint with a brush is not 
a very difficult operation to master. At 
least, the putting of it on surfaces in a way 
is not, especially to the onlooker. So, while 
it is possible for an old lady or a common 
laborer to take hold of a brush and put 
paint on in some sort of way, to become a 
good brush hand requires a great deal of 
practice, good judgment and conscientious- 
ness if you please. 

Some may want to know where the last 
comes in and for the purpose of enlight- 
ening them it may be well to say right here 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 89 

at the beginning that, in priming especially, 
but also in all the rest of the coats of paint 
applied to exterior surfaces to a lesser de- 
gree, the paint may be skipped over the 
surface instead of well brushed in, and ap- 
parently it will look all right enough if the 
man understands the way of slighting his 
work so that if he has no conscience one 
may never know if the work has been well 
done until the subsequent coats have been 
applied when it is too late to remedy it. 

While this conscientiousness should be 
exercised to its full extent in brushing the 
priming coats well into the wood, it should 
of course extend to the proper application 
of all the other coats. 

59. The " modus operandi" of the ap- 
plication itself would be rather difficult to 
explain and the saying that it consists in 
brushing out the paint back and forth over 
the surface to be painted would convey 
about as much information concerning it 
as any that could be given, and then it 



90 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

would not be giving much. It would be on 
a par with that given to a raw hand by the 
farmer to take a hoe and go to hoeing. It 
is simple and easy to look at, but the raw 
man will have to more than hit at the 
ground in order to do good hoeing and the 
novice painter will have to do more than 
rub the surfaces if he desires to do good 
painting. 

The general principles of good painting 
are that 1st, the paint should be well rubbed 
in, but no surplus should be left on the sur- 
face, as if it is, it will either sag run or 
dry wrinkled up; 2d, it should be put on 
evenly, the brush marks layed off smoothly 
after the rubbing in. If the above is care- 
fully and well done, the painting cannot 
help being good. 

60. It is important to have good stout 
tin pails to hold the paint. They should 
be made with riveted ears to hold the wire 
bail extending above the rim of the pails 
and should not be too high as to make 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 91 

them top-heavy ; rather wider than usually 
pails of the same size that are made for 
general use. 

61. The directions given as to how to 
mix up paints and tints in the paint shop 
in paragraphs 43 to 48 will answer in all 
their details for * paint that is to be mixed 
and prepared on the job, and frequently 
it is prepared there instead of in the shop, 
especially if the job is a large one and the 
distance is great. 

In the above referred-to paragraphs it 
is stated that the paint is in a stifTer paste 
than that in which it is intended to be used 
in the painting. The chief reason for this 
is that some of it will probably be needed 
for first, second and third coating, and as 
each require a different kind of reducing 
with raw linseed oil and turpentine, it 
-could not possibly be prepared just right to 
suit the different requirements of liquidity 
the paint should have for the different 
coats. There is a still better reason for 



92 EXTEKIOB PAINTING 

it if the paint has to be hauled to the job 
from the shop, and that is that if it was 
thinned to even the rather stout condition 
required for third coating, that it would 
splash and slop over in the hauling. 

62. While the following directions which 
are given below are general and can only 
be taken as a guide to the proper thinning 
required for the various coats, they will be 
found to apply in the majority of jobs done. 
Where some particular mixing is needed 
for certain kinds of painting and certain 
pigments, the same will be noted and the 
student will know how to vary from the 
general advice given here. 

63. For the priming coat, the stock color 
must be very much reduced ; for one must 
remember that the priming, as the first 
coat will always hereafter be desig- 
nated, must penetrate the fine pores of 
either the wood or of the brick or stone 
work being painted. Should this coat be 
given with a stiff paint the pores would 



EXTEBIOE PAINTING 93 

soak and absorb the oil from it, with the 
consequence that the pigment would dry 
upon the surface without the necessary 
quantity of linseed oil required to hold it 
on properly and will dry porous and ab- 
sorbent, ready to take up some of the oil 
used in thinning the second coat, which 
should have all it is thinned with for its own 
use. 

The stock paint should be reduced to the 
last limit ; all that is required of it is that 
a little of the pigment should ent^r into 
the pores with the oil and help close up the 
orifices. Enough pigment should be added 
to the oil to show plainly what its color is 
when well rubbed out but through which 
most of the veinings and details of the 
wood can be seen. 

64. It is usually the practice to use some 
specially prepared priming into which the 
stock colors do not enter. 

Some use ochre alone thinned with lin- 
seed oil. "While a good silicate-based ochre 



94 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

will do fairly well if thinned well and if it 
has been properly ground fine in oil, it is 
better not to use it alone for that purpose, 
and the use of American or clay-based 
ochre will cause trouble in the future; so 
that their use should be discouraged for 
the priming coats. 

White lead alone or in combination with 
a good finely ground French ochre where 
the lead itself predominates, when well re- 
duced with linseed oil makes the best of 
priming paint. 

65. The priming coat thinner should be 
raw linseed oil only, when the weather is 
warm and when the surfaces to be primed 
are perfectly dry. Then the linseed oil is 
limpid and penetrating and will reach a 
good distance into the pores, filling them 
and when dry forming little tentacles or 
rootlets which serve to hold the superadded 
coats of paint. 

In cold weather, however, the fluidity of 
linseed oil becomes impaired, and then it 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 95 

becomes necessary to render it less viscid 
in order to restore it to a good degree of 
fluidity. The addition of a volatile oil is 
permissible for this purpose, and either 
turpentine, benzine or naphtha added in 
such proportion as to restore it to a good 
degree of fluidity is proper. 

The objection made that it evaporates 
and has no binding properties is all right 
in good weather, but in cold weather it is 
not ; for then it is possible to use more lin- 
seed oil to which has been added some vol- 
atile oil in the priming of a given space 
than could possibly be spread on by itself. 
This has been doubted by some, but the 
experiment is and can be easily made by 
anyone. 

66. The painting of the second coat is 
for the purpose of giving a good founda- 
tion for the third or finishing coat. Upon 
wooden buildings and upon brick or stone 
walls there will be found some soft parts 
into which the priming coat has penetrated 



96 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

deeper than it has in others, with the con- 
sequence that some portions of the work 
are still obsorbent of linseed oil, while the 
surrounging parts that are harder are well 
filled np and the drying of the priming has 
stopped al} suction. Over such places the 
second coat of paint would dry on top of 
it and glossy, while upon the first it would 
be partially absorbed by the partially-filled 
soft parts to which a portion of its oil 
would be given with the consequence that 
it would appear partly flatted over them 
and the general surface of the job would 
show spotty or harlequin-like to the dis- 
gust of all lovers of good work. 

67. The second coat of paint, generally 
speaking, again should be thinned with 
one-fourth turpentine or benzine added to 
three-fourths of good raw linseed oil. This, 
of course, applies to the thinning of the 
stock color, which contains already a large 
quantity of linseed oil, and in reality there 
will be but little over one-eighth of the total 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 97 

thinner used that will be volatile oil with 
the percentage named. The addition of the 
volatile oil is to make it set quicker and 
that it may dry a trifle flat and porous in 
order to make a good foundation for the 
third or finishing coat. This second coat 
should be very much thicker than the prim- 
ing coat and of about the consistency of 
good cream. It should cover well and 
solidly over the priming, but should be well 
brushed out and evenly distributed, and 
lastly, laid off in one direction lightly with 
the brush. 

68. The third or finishing coat on new 
work should not be thinned to the same ex- 
tent as the second, and nothing but raw 
linseed oil should be used for the purpose, 
as it is the completion of the painting. No 
volatile oil of any kind should be added, 
for there is more pigment in it than in the 
previous ones, and it will require all the 
thinner to hold it on and at the same time 



98 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

form an impervious coating that will pro- 
tect the surfaces painted. 

When the second coating has been well 
done and it has dried thoroughly and hard, 
the third coat should show a perfectly even 
surface and glossy all over alike. It should 
be put on rather thick and well rubbed out, 
then there will be no trouble in its running 
and drying wrinkled, as many say it will 
if thinned with raw linseed oil alone. 

The real reason why many wish to use 
turpentine or some other volatile oil in the 
third coat is that then it is not so difficult 
to apply it ; that it will not require so much 
hard work in the rubbing out, and that it 
is a saving of time and material to them. 
This is not denied, but it certainly is not 
the best way, and the advice is given for 
those who want the best results and who 
are not afraid of a little extra work in or- 
der to obtain them. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 99 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON X 

58. General remarks on applying the 
paint. 

59. How is paint applied? 

60. What are the best paint pails to do 
the painting from? 

61. What is said about having the paint 
mixed on the job? 

62. What is said in a general way about 
the thinning of the stock colors? 

63. What is said about the thinning of 
the priming coat ? 

64. What pigments are recommended 
as best for priming coat? 

65. What is said concerning the addi- 
tion of volatile oils for the priming coat? 

66. What is said about painting of the 
second coat? 

67. How is the paint to be mixed for the 
second coat? 

68. How is the third or finishing coat to 
be mixed and applied ? 



100 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

LESSON XI 

THE PAINTING OF WOODEN BUILDINGS 

69. In the foregoing chapters the mate- 
rial and appliances used in exterior paint- 
ing were reviewed and described and the 
various operations for the mixing of paint 
were stated as well as general directions 
given for doing the painting. It is hoped 
that the student has well mastered it and 
understands all that was said thoroughly. 
In order that he may understand all that 
will be said in the following chapters, it 
would not be amiss for him to go over the 
questions and review them in order that he 
will be doubly sure that he understands 
them all. 

The subject-matter of this lesson is the 
painting of wooden buildings. This is 
the most important part of the subject- 
matter of this manual, as the painting of 
buildings, on exteriors in America is chiefly 



EXTERIOR PAIXTI^G 101 

upon structures with a wooden surface, at 
the present time at least. 

It is perfectly safe to state, that four- 
fifths of all exterior painting is done upon 
wood surfaces, therefore it is of the 
greatest importance to consider it first and 
before the other two which enter chiefly in 
house construction— iron and brick— as 
much that is explained here applies also 
to those. 

While the general principles of exterior 
painting which have been given apply in a 
way to all kinds of painting done exte- 
riorly, a special application of them is 
necessary to suit the various surfaces over 
which paint is applied. 

For this reason, therefore, the various 
peculiarities of wooden, iron and brick sur- 
faces will be considered separately and 
their individual requirements noted under 
their several headings. 

70. The first step in investigating the 
needs and requirements for the painting of 



102 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

wooden buildings will naturally be that of 
an examination of the condition that they 
are left in after the carpenters are through 
with them. The boards, on examination of 
a powerful eyeglass, will be found full of 
holes or pits. The naked eye reveals many 
of these without the use of glasses in many 
of the woods and are well known to most 
people under the name of pores. These 
pores are conduits through which the cir- 
culation of sap takes place during the 
growth of trees, and therefore they honey- 
comb the whole unseen interior of the 
woodwork. We all know the effect of 
moisture upon all vegetation. During the 
growth of the plant or tree it becomes its 
life ; but after the cutting and the perfect 
drying of the boards has taken place, then 
moisture becomes its worst enemy— when 
in contact tvith air. 

71. The oxygen of the air is conducted 
by moisture into the interior of the wood, 
and combining with the sap, sets up a f er- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 103 

mentation which in time will rot the fibers 
of the wood and cause its decay. Some 
woods contain within themselves in their 
dried sap an anti-ferment principle and 
that protects them against this element; 
but unfortunately the woods that must be 
used in house construction are not of that 
character, and when left to the action of 
the elements, they very quickly decay. 

This injurious action of moisture is so 
much feared that architects and carpenters 
require the painter to be right behind them 
in order to prime the boards as fast as 
they nail them On in order that moisture 
may be kept out of them. 

72. This is the one great object why 
paint is used to cover wooden surfaces. It 
has already been stated in paragraph 63 
that linseed oil penetrates the open pores 
of wood, sinking in to quite a distance in 
its interior, forming innumerable rootlets 
which firmly anchor the paint coatings and 
fasten them to the wood. When dry the 



104 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

surface of the wood is thus completely 
sealed to the influence of moisture, and 
that is prevented from acting upon the 
dried-up sap. 

73. To understand how this protection 
is accomplished it will be necessary to 
know what really takes place during the 
drying process and what the paint drying 
really means. Many painters have very 
confused ideas about it. Some think that 
drying is by evaporation, which is false; 
therefore it will be well to study the phe- 
nomenon of the drying of the fixed oil in 
order to understand certain things in paint- 
ing which otherwise would puzzle a man 
unnecessarily. 

Fixed oils are that class of oils which 
dry by absorbing oxygen from the atmos- 
phere and forming a new compound with it 
which becomes hard and rubber-like in con- 
sistency and which is waterproof as well. 

It was said at the beginning of this para- 
graph that there is no evaporation in the 



EXTEKIOR PAINTING 105 

drying of fixed oils, or linseed oil, which is 
the chief one of those oils used in painting 
—this statement needs qualifying. There 
is a small loss by evaporation in drying; it 
is very slight, however, and this loss is 
more than made up by other gains. 

74. It will be an easy matter for any 
one to test the process of drying so as to 
satisfy himself of the correctness of the 
statements made regarding it. A clean 
piece of glass should be selected and it 
should be carefully weighed and the weight 
noted. A coat of raw linseed oil should be 
spread over the glass and then it should 
be reweighed, the deduction of the weight 
of the glass giving the net weight of the 
oil used. 

It was stated that linseed oil dried by 
absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere and 
of fixing it by combining with it. This can 
be ascertained by weighing the glass daily 
when it will be found that it will gain con- 
stantly during some ten days which it takes 



106 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

to complete the process of drying. The 
small loss of water by evaporation is more 
than made up by the absorption of oxygen, 
and the completely dried oil will be found 
to have made a clear gain of nearly 8 per 
cent in its weight. 

75. The above test is easily made and 
convincing, but it teaches us another thing 
as well, and that is that painting is rushed 
through entirely too fast. It will be noted 
that the drying is not completed until the 
tenth day, so that what, to the touch, may 
feel and appear as being perfectly dry, is 
far from being so. To paint over a coat 
of painting in one or two days after its ap- 
plication, will seal it up against the action 
of oxygen, or at least greatly delay it, and 
the further drying must be imperfectly 
done at the cost of the durability of the 
painting. For good work then when one 
is not pushed nor forced to complete a job 
by a certain time, at least ten or twelve 
days should elapse before another coat be 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 107 

applied again. This will give it the full 
time required for it to dry to the limit. 
Where dryers are used to hasten the pro- 
cess, it would probably be hastened some- 
what, but even then one week should elapse 
between coats, as the finishing up of the 
drying is the slowest part of it all. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XI 

69. General remarks on the painting of 
wooden buildings. 

70. What is the condition of wooden 
buildings previous to the painting! 

71. What action has atmospheric air 
upon moist wood? 

72. In what manner does paint prevent 
the injurious action of moisture upon 
wood? 

73. How do fixed oils dry? 

74. Describe the process of the drying 
of oils. 

75. What else does the test of oil dry- 
ing teach us? 



108 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

LESSON XII 

THE PAINTING OP WOODEN BUILDINGS CON- 
TINUED 

76. It is supposed that everything is 
ready and that some place has been se- 
cured in the building to be painted where 
the stock and tools can be placed and where, 
if possible, they can be locked up. In the 
larger buildings some corner in the base- 
ment is usually devoted to this purpose, 
and in the country one can find some out- 
house for the purpose where there will be 
no danger of doing damage by spilling or 
upsetting paint. 

77. The priming is the first operation to 
be looked after. All the mill work such as 
door frames, window frames, etc., may have 
been brought to the paint shop and done 
there, but is also frequently done right on 
the job itself and left for some time before 
they are nailed up to their proper place 
on the building. 



EXTEEIOE PAINTING 109 

All woodwork should be well brushed 
over with the dust brush to remove the fine 
dust made by the sandpapering machines, 
and any resinous or sappy parts as well 
as all the knots in the lumber, should be 
gone over with one good coat ; or better, 
with two coats of orange shellac varnish. 

78. It would be better for the job really, 
not to be in such a hurry about applying 
the priming coat as it is the practice of 
doing it. Even a rain will not hurt it any 
should it come on to the building before the 
priming is done. It would raise the grain 
of the wood and it may cause a few checks 
and the opening up of a few joints in the 
carpenter's work, but the opening up of 
the pores means that a greater quantity 
of linseed oil will enter the wood through 
them and the checks. Putty will fill up any 
damage done by the joints opening up, so 
that, after all, the real damage will be 
small compared to the better condition that 



110 EXTEKIOR PAINTING 

the wood will be in and to the good that a 
better coat of priming will do it. 

79. The application of the priming coat 
does not require very great skill, but no 
one but persons who are conscientious and 
trustworthy should be allowed to apply it. 
If slighted or simply brushed over without 
the conscientious rubbing it in again and 
again till the wood will absorb no more oil, 
will not show much worse than the well- 
done job, but the one will hold up the sub- 
sequent coats in good shape for all future 
painting, while the other will not. The 
practice of many of using anyone— usually 
the poorest hands in the shop— is wrong. 
While it is stated at the beginning of this 
paragraph that it does not require great 
skill, the qualifications that were given with 
the statement must not be lost sight of in 
detailing the men for the work. A poor 
painter who is conscientious will do a much 
better job than one who is much better but 
unreliable. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 111 

80. By referring to paragraph 64 the 
student will derive some good notions as to 
what pigments he should use for the prep- 
aration of his priming color. By further 
referring to the red series manual entitled, 
"Colors," under the heading and descrip- 
tion of Ochres, he will find the difference 
between the various kinds of them and rea- 
sons more fully given why one kind is much 
better adapted for use in priming while the 
other is utterly unfitted for it. 

81. The priming should be perfectly dry 
before another coat of paint is applied over 
it, for reasons that were fully given in 
paragraphs 73, 74 and 75. This will re- 
quire nine or ten days, when it will be in 
good condition to receive the second coat- 
ing. But as it is upon the top of the prim- 
ing coat that the puttying up of the nail 
holes, cracks, or open joints must be done 
in order that the putty may be covered over 
with two coats of paint so that it will not 
show through differently from .the rest of 



112 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

the painting, that operation must now be 
attended to before the second coat is ap- 
plied. 

The practice of many is to have a lump 
of putty in the hand and to run over the 
nail holes, cracks, etc., with it, cutting off 
by simply smoothing them with the hands. 
It is an imperfect way of doing the work. 
For good puttying both hands should be 
used, the left hand holding and forcing the 
putty down to the bottom of the parts to 
be filled, while the right hand holding the 
putty knife cuts it off smoothly and levels 
it up. 

82. It is now ready for the application 
of the second coat. By referring to para- 
graphs 66 and 67, the student will see how 
the stock paint should be thinned and 
mixed for use. 

It will be well to state here that in order 
to guard against the possibility of missing 
some portions of the boards in the painting 
of the last coat on account of their being 



EXTEKIOB PAINTING 113 

of a similar shade, it will be found better 
to add some pigment to the stock color to 
darken it up a trifle— just sufficiently that 
when the third coating is applied, that the 
one doing the work may be able to see that 
there have been no holidays left (holiday 
in painters' vernacular signifies a spot left 
untouched by paint). 

This coat should cover the priming sol- 
idly and should be fairly well brushed out 
and evenly spread— the right way will soon 
suggest itself to even a novice at the work. 

83. A lapse of ten days should be al- 
lowed for the proper drying of the third 
coat and then it will be ready for it, taking 
care that any dust which may have blown 
upon the paint before its drying was com- 
pleted, be sandpapered off and the whole 
job well dusted from any dry dust having 
settled upon it. 

The stock paint is the color agreed upon 
for the proper shade of the finished job. 
It, with the trimmings, especially if light, 



114 EXTEKIOR PAINTING 

should have been put on on the second coat 
with just enough variation to guard against 
holidays— this variation should be just a 
trifle darker in shade, because a slightly 
lighter shade of a tint will cover more sol- 
idly over a darker one than a darker one 
over a lighter one. The trimmings, when 
darker than the body color, will usually 
cover well in one coat. So the second coat 
can be put on all over the job without any 
special attention to the trimmings; but if 
these are lighter than the body color or 
white, as in many instances, then it will be 
necessary to go over the trimmings, on the 
second coat also, as otherwise they would 
not cover perfectly solid in one coat over 
a dark shade. 

The third coat, as it has been already in- 
timated in paragraph 68, should be put on 
rather thick and should be well brushed 
out ; this will permit its application thinned 
only with oil, so that it will neither run nor 
wrinkle up in the drying. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 115 

The second coat should have so filled up 
the pores of the wood that after properly 
drying there will be no more penetration 
and should have stopped all suction. The 
third coat will then dry altogether on the 
surface and will not need to he thinned 
with any more oil than will be necessary to 
insure its spreading properly under the 
brush. 

The job when complete will present a 
perfect even gloss all over alike and will 
shed water like a duck's bask, forming a 
waterproof coating and a complete protec- 
tion to the wood over which the painting 
has been done. It will, besides, look a thing 
of beauty and be the joy and pride to the 
owner and painter alike. 

Painting thus becomes not only a matter 
of prime importance on account of its 
utility, but also it is a matter of equal im- 
portance to most people of taste and means 
of even more importance, as a beautifier. 



116 EXTEKIOR PAINTING 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XII 

76. Selection of place for stock and tools 
on job? 

77. How should the woodwork be pre- 
pared for the priming? 

78. Is it best to commence the priming 
immediately after the boards have been 
nailed on to the building? 

79. What is said regarding the applica- 
tion of the priming? 

80. "What is said concerning the pig- 
ments to be used in the priming? 

81. How and when should the puttying 
be done? 

82. How should the paint be prepared 
for the painting of the second coat? 

83. How should the paint be prepared 
for the application of the third coating? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 117 

LESSON XIII 

PAINTING WOOD BUILDINGS (CONTINUED) 

84. In the two previous chapters the 
painting of new wood only was considered 
and in that way and manner which only 
can make a good substantial first-class job; 
i. e., by painting new wood with three 
coats of paint. 

Painters are frequently required, how- 
ever, to paint new buildings in two-coat 
work only— even by architects who should 
know better— so the space below will be 
given to considering "how a passably good 
looking" job may be made out of it, as 
when people must have their painting done 
in that way, the painter must be able to 
accommodate them or lose their trade. 

85. It must be plain to be seen from 
what has been said heretofore about the 
principal function of good priming, that if 
the work is to be finished in two coats, that 
it cannot be given in the manner recom- 



118 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

mended for three-coat work. Should it be 
given with the small proportion of pigment 
required, then the second or finishing coat 
cannot possibly cover over it and make a 
good fair solid covering over it and it 
would look but little better than second 
coats do in three-coat jobs. 

The priming for two-coat finish must be 
fully as heavy as second coating should be, 
as described in former chapters, in order 
that it may prevent something substan- 
tially covered in order to receive the finish- 
ing coat. 

86. The heavy pigmented priming will 
be acted upon in the following manner. The 
pores will absorb the oil until filled up; 
this will leave the pigment upon the sur- 
face with an insufficiency of oil to properly 
bind it and when dry it will be found very 
porous and absorbing ; this is said in a gen- 
eral way, but more especially of inert pig- 
ments. Pigments having an affinity for 
linseed oil, and which combine with it to 



EXTEKIOB PAINTING 119 

form soaps, will not loose so much of it; 
but the retention of the linseed oil and the 
preventing it from freely entering the 
pores will of itself produce bad priming. 
White lead is of that character. As it was 
highly recommended as a priming pigment, 
the reader may think that a different view 
of it is here presented, but it is not. 

The recommendation of it as a primer 
was under the condition that only so much 
of it be used as will show where the prim- 
ing has been applied, with a very large 
preponderance of linseed oil over which the 
small quantity of lead used could not pos- 
sibly exert any deteriorating influence; 
but this would not be the same in a heavy 
lead priming coat. The quantity of oil it 
would need for thinning would bear no 
comparison to the other, and this would be 
no greater than needed for its proper bind- 
ing, let alone the having to part with any of 
it to fill the hungry pores, which is the real 
object of good priming. 



120 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

87. The priming, then, far this work 
must be heavy and must not be rubbed out 
too much in its application, but laid off in 
a way very similar to second coating. 

It goes without the saying that all the 
preparatory work mentioned to be done 
prior to priming, as stated in the preced- 
ing chapters, must have been attended to 
before the paint coat is applied, as it is as 
essential or even more so for this as it is 
for the other. 

88. When dry, which will require the 
same time as is usual, then the nail holes, 
cracks and joints should be neatly puttied 
up, as already described in paragraph 81. 
The last coat or the second, must be fully 
as thick as it is usual for third coat, with 
this difference, that it will be much easier 
to put on as the priming will not have 
stopped all tne suction and that the pig- 
ment is more porous, so that the paint will 
adhere to it more readily than it would if 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 121 

the surface was well filled and nan-porous 
or but a trifle so. 

Now as to the looks. The priming not 
having thoroughly filled the wood, the sec- 
ond coat will have to finish that; besides, 
it will have to divide enough of its own 
binding oil to supply the porous coating of 
the priming which will leave it in a some- 
what semi-flat condition, which will look 
fair enough and much more even in appear- 
ance than it is usual for ordinary second 
coat. So that there is a gain in appear- 
ance at least. But there is a hereafter 
coming, when the defective priming and 
upper coat will surely tell. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XIII 

84. What is said about painting build- 
ings in two-coat work! 

85. Where lays the difference in prim- 
ing two-coat and three-coat work? 



122 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

86. What is the result of heavy prim- 
ing? 

87. How should the priming be applied? 

88. How should the second coat be put 
on? 

LESSON XIV 

THE REPAINTING OF WOODEN BUILDINGS 

89. Wooden buildings have to be re- 
painted for several reasons, the principal 
of which are noted below: 1st, Because, 
unfortunately, while oxygen acted benefi- 
cially in the drying of the linseed oil and by 
its combining with it, it formed an oxy- 
linoate rubber-like waterproof gum, which 
causes it to become a perfect shield to the 
deleterious influences of the atmosphere 
upon wooden surfaces ; yet after this bene- 
ficial action has been accomplished still 
further changes take place. Most of them 
can only be demonstrated by aid of chem- 
istry, nor will they be readily understood 
without some knowledge of that science. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 123 

When reduced to effects, it may be said 
that after the process of drying is com- 
pletely finished and even during the pro- 
cess of drying, the oil loses some of its 
ethers. In their escape, fine pores are pro- 
duced which will, in course of time, honey- 
comb the several coatings of paint down 
into the rootlets formed by the priming, 
which will form conduits through which 
moisture, the great enemy of all but few 
of created things, will slowly find its way 
to all parts of the paint and gradually but 
surely sap its life to its foundation, and 
cause the life of the paint linseed oil to 
decay. When that is complete, then the 
pigment either falls off or scales off, ac- 
cording as to the particles composing it 
have affinity for each other when they scale 
off or have none, when they chalk off and 
fall singly. 

Therefore, wooden buildings should be 
repainted more frequently than they usu- 
ally are. Five years is as long as they 



124 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

should be allowed to stand without new 
coatings of paint being given them. 

90. This decay of linseed oil, according 
as it has been going on for a longer or a 
shorter period, and also as to the character 
of the pigments that were used in prepar- 
ing the paint, present various conditions 
that require different treatment to remedy. 

When the previous painting has been well 
done, at the end of say five or six years, 
it will still look good, although it will have 
lost its glossy enameled-like appearance. 
It is then on the verge of becoming in a 
much worse condition, and while it does not 
look bad, it needs renewing. In that con- 
dition it will not take much trouble to put 
it in good trim again for another period 
of five years, and at a minimum of expense. 

If the painting is delayed much longer 
than that and a further decay of linseed oil 
occurs so as to have lost its power upon 
the pigment as a binder, then if the pig- 
ment was white lead mainly, it will be 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 125 

found to chalk badly. This does not re- 
quire any special preparation for repaint- 
ing other than dusting and cleaning it of! 
as much as possible, but where the pig- 
ments used have an affinity for each other 
and hold together, as in paint which con- 
tains considerable zinc, then they crack and 
scale. In this condition, it is sometimes 
necessary to remove the old paint entirely 
away before repainting; but of this, more 
will be said further on. 

There are a number of intermediate 
states or conditions in which the old paint 
may be in according as it may approach 
the one typical one first described and the 
last, so that according to that it may be 
classed as good or poor. 

90. There will be no need of saying 
much about the applying of the paint it- 
self, if the repainting is done when it is 
first needed other than that it should be 
thoroughly cleaned before that is com- 
menced. 



126 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

As the priming is all right and sound 
there will be no need of any. The chalking 
of the lead which has just fairly com- 
menced will not have taken much of the 
material from the building, and it is then 
in a weakened condition which if prolonged 
would injure it seriously, but which can be 
cured and restored to its original state of 
usefulness by a simple coating of linseed 
oil with but little more pigment added to it 
than is usually used in the priming coat. 
This will allow of the linseed oil pene- 
trating to all the interior parts of the for- 
mer painting and filling it up, the pigment 
accompanying helping to seal up the few 
open pores that might otherwise be left 
open. 

91. When thoroughly dry, a good solid 
coat of color should be applied, as stated 
for third coat in paragraph 83, which see. 
These two coats are all that will be re- 
quired to make a good job of repainting 
upon all fairly good surfaces. 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 127 

92. The cost of doing the work then will 
be at the minimum. The first coat being 
nearly all oil, but comparatively little of it 
will be needed, especially if the first paint- 
ing was well done. As to the cost of the 
finishing coat, that, too, will be but slight ; 
so it is a matter of real economy to repaint 
often. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XIV 

89. Why should wooden buildings be 
repainted? 

90. What are the conditions that build- 
ings needing paint are usually found in? 

91. How should the repainting of the 
first coat be done ? 

92. How should the finishing coat be 
applied? 

93. What is said concerning the cost of 
repainting wooden buildings when first 
needed? 



128 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

LESSON XV 

THE REPAINTING OF POOR SURFACES ON 
WOODEN BUILDINGS 

94. In the preceding lesson the repaint- 
ing of fairly good-conditioned wood build- 
ings was considered. In this lesson it is 
purposed to take up the repainting of sur- 
faces which have been let go too long be- 
fore repainting, or which, from one cause 
or another, have not a good surface to 
paint over. 

95. There are several reasons why the 
old paint may be in bad condition. It fre- 
quently is caused by bad priming; by the 
poor quality of the thinner used; by the 
injudicious selection of material and by 
waiting too long before repainting, any one 
of which reasons being sufficient to cause 
the trouble, but as they usually are com- 
bined together in producing the damage, it 
is not always an easy matter to credit to 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 129 

each of those agencies for the exact amount 
of damage due to them. 

96. The condition which is the most ag- 
gravating is that of scaling. The surface 
commences to check and crack, then in a 
little while some of the cracks will part 
from the wood and after a little longer wait 
will begin to pull itself entirely off of the 
surface, falling down by force of its own 
weight in much the same way that can be 
noticed on limbs or trunks of sycamore 
trees. 

If they would only take a notion to all 
peel up and come down at once, it would 
not be so bad, as then there would be a 
clear field to recommence the painting 
upon, but they do not, and there is the 
trouble; some parts will remain on so 
tight that it would be a question of many 
years of waiting for the total scaling to 
occur, and in the meantime the parts which 
have scaled off would be an eyesore to 
every onlooker. 



130 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

The remedy— and it is the only one— is 
to take the paint off entirely. 

97. There are a number of ways by 
means of which paint may be removed. 
The old way of removing it by coating it 
over with some strong alkaline washes will 
be remembered by many of the old-time 
painters, hut while it is effective, it is very 
dirty and requires afterward great care 
in removing every vestige of it by repeated 
washings and neutralizing. It has well- 
nigh become obsolete to-day, and justly so. 

98. The many excellent ones manufac- 
tured under a certain patent which have no 
bad effect upon the hands of the one ap- 
plying them and which can be used much 
more cleanly, are a very great step for- 
ward ; and but that their cost is too great 
for use on such large surfaces as the out- 
side of a house, they would be used more 
extensively than they are, as in the open 
air the offensive alcoholic smell which is 
complained of so much by those having to 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 131 

use them in interior work is so much re- 
duced by diffusion in the atmosphere that 
the smell is bearable to most persons. 

99. The most common method adopted 
by painters for removing paint outside is 
by the use of gasoline torches. These pro- 
duce an intense heat which, combined with 
the forceful jet of air, can be guided to 
any and all parts of the work where needed 
on the job. The intense heat softens the 
paint at once, and the painter who guides 
the burner on the paint with his left hand, 
follows it up with a wide scraping-knife 
held in his right hand, removing the paint 
in ribbon-like flakes the whole width of the 
weatherboarding at once. It is quickly 
done. There is but one thing the matter 
with it, and that is that where the boards 
have loosened themselves from the build- 
ing, that possibly some of the lint of the 
wood inside may become ignited from it 
and many buildings have been burned down 
from this cause. If one has a spray pump 



132 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

and is careful to spray over the parts that 
have been worked over soon after the re- 
moval of the paint and to carry the work 
on from bottom to top instead of from top 
to bottom, there need be no danger feared 
from the burning off of the paint. 

100. After the job has been well cleaned 
up it stands in precisely the same condi- 
tion as a new building that has never been 
painted, with the exception that some of 
the rootlets of the priming may still re- 
main in the wood, and for that reason the 
priming will not be absorbed as freely as 
in new wood painting, and therefore more 
pigment can be added to it. This is all 
right, as it will not part with so much of its 
oil in filling the pores. If the job is to be 
finished in two coats only, the priming may 
be given somewhat thicker than stated 
above. It is best, however, not to overdo it, 
and for best work three coats are recom- 
mended. 

101. If two coats only are to be given, 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 133 

the second being the finishing coat, it should 
be rather thick and thinned with all linseed 
oil. If it is to be done in three coats, then 
the second should have a little turpentine 
added to it and should not be too thick for 
easy rubbing and laying out. 

It is needless to repeat that any putty- 
ing needed on the surface of the wood to 
level it up or to cover any imperfection 
should be given previous to the application 
of this coat. 

102. In the application of the third coat 
all that has been said previously in regard 
to its mixing, thinning, and its application, 
will apply for this repainting in full. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XV 

94. What is said about the scope of this 
lesson? 

95. To what agencies is the decay of the 
old paint due ? 

96. What is said about paint scaling? 



134 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

97. How are paint coats removed for 
repainting? 

98. What is said about the patent paint 
removers? 

99. What is said about removing paint 
by aid of gasoline torches? 

100. How should be mixed the priming 
or first coat for burnt-over work? 

101. How should the second coat be ap- 
plied? 

102. What is said regarding the appli- 
cation of the third coat? 

LESSON XVI 

THE PAINTING OF OLD WOODEN BUILDINGS 
WHICH WERE NEVER PAINTED BEFORE 

103. There is just one more condition in 
which the painting of wooden buildings re- 
quires a special treatment differing from 
all that described under the previous con- 
ditions. It is necessary to note the condi- 
tion of wood that has been left exposed un- 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 135 

painted for many years. It will be found 
that moisture will have acted upon the in- 
terior of the fibers and partially destroyed 
the binding that held them together, so that 
they crumble off in the form of lint, which 
birds sometimes pull off to line their nests 
with, and that possibly there may be so 
much decay that some parts, especially the 
sappy ones, will be completely rotten. 

104. If, from changing of ownership or 
any other reason, the building is to be 
painted, it will be an expensive affair to 
do it in the usual way of priming, second 
and third coating it with paint. 

If done with raw linseed oil, as usual, a 
brushf ul of it will cover but little more than 
the spot where the brush hits the work, 
and a gallon of priming paint can be ap- 
plied within a very small space on the 
weatherboarding. It disappears so rapidly 
that were it possible to look through the 
board one would look for it on the other 
side. It is questionable if it would not 



136 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

prove more economical to tear the weather- 
boarding off and put on new, than to at- 
tempt to paint it in the ordinary way. Nor 
does this suction of oil stop at the first coat 
if the boards are bad— the second coat will 
also require a much greater quantity of 
paint than usual. The worst of it all will 
be that even after the third coat has been 
put on, while it will be glossy, the surface 
will be found full of ridges and uneven. 

105. It may be well to say that some- 
times old houses which have been painted, 
but from which every vestige of it has long 
ago disappeared will frequently be found 
in but little better condition than that men- 
tioned in the preceding paragraph. It 
therefore stands to reason that such should 
receive the same kind of treatment as is 
described in the succeeding paragraphs. 

106. What is really needed in order to 
make these old structures look well and 
wear well is not an overwhelming drench- 
ing with linseed oil, but a good filling. This 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 137 

filling must be able to penetrate to a rea- 
sonable distance inside the mass of pores 
of the wood, but it is not essential that it 
should do so very much more than the lin- 
seed oil priming usually does in the first 
coating of new lumber. It should be able to 
level up the ridges formed by the decay of 
the wood side, to some extent at least, so 
as to greatly reduce them and this, it was 
explained, linseed oil does not do. 

107. To prepare this filler coat which 
may be called the priming coat, as it is so 
in reality, requires the use of somewhat 
different material tha«n that which has been 
described in the former lessons and a some- 
what different treatment of such other ma- 
terial as is mentioned there which is to be 
used in connection with the new. 

Whiting (carbonate of lime) should be 
used, and a proper working formula is 
given below and the proper methods of 
mixing it: 

20 lbs. of whiting, 



138 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

25 lbs. of white lead, 

Water, 

Milk (sweet) and linseed oil, in suit- 
able quantity, as described below. 

Take the whiting, place it in a galvanized 
pail, pour sufficient water over it to work 
it up into a thick smooth uniform paste. Let 
it stand for two or three hours in order 
that the water may have time to soak up to 
every portion and particle of it, then add 
the white lead to the whiting, stirring it up 
well with it. Let it stand over night, when, 
next morning, the whole mass will work up 
smoothly together. Pour in as much sweet 
milk at a time as will mix with the 
mass by much stirring, then add about 
the same quantity of linseed oil as was used 
of the milk and stir well. This will reduce 
the thickness of the paint while the milk 
will thicken it, because it forms an emul- 
sion with the linseed oil. The whiting con- 
tains sufficient alkaline matter to saponify 



EXTEEIOK PAINTING 139 

the oil in the lead and all subsequent addi- 
tions of oil. 

The action of the milk is very much the 
same as that of water, excepting that the 
casein which it contains is one of the best 
binding and waterproofing substances 
known, and many water paints which are 
patented are composed from it. When 
added to the filler compound it thickens it 
by combining with the oil in emulsion. The 
quantity of pigments mentioned in the fore- 
going recipe will require the addition of 
nearly one gallon of sweet milk and of one 
gallon of linseed oil. 

If it is desired to color it with any of the 
usual colors, take these in the dry state 
and thin them up with water to a rather 
thin condition, then pour in the mass into 
the mother base, stirring it in until thor- 
oughly mixed. 

108. To apply it it should have been 
reduced to a condition of about the same 
consistency as is usual for second coating 



140 EXTEEIOR PAINTING 

in ordinary work. It should be well 
brushed in and layed off rather full in or- 
der to level up the board as much as pos- 
sible. It will be found to slide on the 
boards readily, and the brush will carry 
enough to make quite a show for the quan- 
tity used. The water of its emulsion will 
prevent the changed condition of the oil 
penetrating the pores as would be the case 
otherwise, and when dry the painting pre- 
sents a much better finish than would have 
been possible in any other way. 

Do not be afraid of it, as it will stand 
not only as well, but better than if it had 
been put on with linseed oil only. 

109. The second coat may be the same 
mixture as given for the priming, puttying 
or any specially bad places should be gone 
over first before its application, and the 
spreading of it should be done in the same 
way as stated in paragraph 108; this will 
finish up the leveling up of the boards. 



EXTERIOK PAINTING 141 

When dry, it should be in excellent con- 
dition to receive the finishing coat. 

110. The finishing, or third coat, must 
be put on thick and thinned with linseed oil 
only. It may be mixed from any of the ac- 
customed material mentioned in the paint- 
ing of new wood, or it may be the thick 
stock color prepared for the filling— only if 
that is used, enough of it should have been 
saved out of the batch before it was thinned 
out fully. It will then be pretty thick and 
reduced to a good working consistency with 
linseed oil only. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XVI 

103. What is said regarding the paint- 
ing of old wooden buildings which had 
never been painted before? 

104. Describe the condition such build- 
ings usually present. 

105. Do old painted buildings from 
which the paint has perished for years 
need a similar treatment? 



142 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

106. What is said about filling and sur- 
facing such old buildings? 

107. How is this filling coat to be pre- 
pared! 

108. How should the filling coat be ap- 
plied? 

109. How should the second coat be put 
on? 

110. What is said concerning the appli- 
cation of the third coat? 

LESSON XVII 

THE PAINTING OF IRON BUILDINGS, 

111. The painting of iron surfaces re- 
quires a somewhat different system than 
that described for wooden ones. 

Its requirements must be first looked into 
in order to. find the best agents to counter- 
act any evil influences which can be pre- 
vented. 

Iron, like wood, is full of fine pores, the 
main difference between them being that 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 143 

these fine pores are not so continuous as 
in wood nor nearly so large. 

The atmospheric influences which work 
havoc upon wood are also hard at work in 
forming new combination with iron or steel. 
Iron has a great affinity for oxygen, and 
when aided by moisture, the two 'readily 
combine together to form oxide of iron, or 
rust. This action continues until in time 
the whole of the iron will decompose into 
such oxide, especially if it is not very thick. 
This weakens it in a very short time in 
the case of sheet iron and renders it unfit 
for use. 

112. There is but one remedy, and that 
is, to cover it over with such substances as 
will prevent the access of atmospheric air 
to the iron. 

This is the reason why there is so much 
galvanized iron in the market. It is given 
a coating of zinc. The zinc has little affin- 
ity for oxygen, and if the galvanizing has 
been properly done, it will effectually pre- 



144 EXTEBI0R PAINTING 

vent the oxygen from the surface of iron. 
But this galvanizing process is not al- 
ways possible, especially for large struc- 
tural iron. The cost, too, is greater than 
some of the hereafter described methods 
are, and which for certain purposes are 
even better than galvanizing is. 

113. The next best thing that may be 
used to prevent the oxidation of iron is by 
giving it several coats of paint, as stated 
for the painting of wood buildings, and 
for the same reasons. The proper selection ■ 
of pigments, however, requires some ex- 
planation, as some are unfitted for the pur- 
pose. 

114. The first coat which comes in con- 
tact with the iron itself is the only real im- 
portant one; if that is compounded of the 
right pigment, the superadded coats may 
consist of any color desired. All pigments 
which are the result of the combining of 
oxygen and other metals and which have 
the further property of having an affinity 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 145 

for the iron themselves, or of readily im- 
parting to it of the oxygen they contain, 
would cause its oxidation instead of be- 
coming a protection against it. So any 
pigments containing hydrate oxides should 
be avoided, such as ochres, raw siennas, 
and even white lead. The oxide of iron 
paints, not being hydrates, would not be 
very dangerous, excepting that they, in 
time, will become more or less hydrated by 
exposure to the elements, but so slowly as 
to reduce the danger to a very small de- 
gree. It is for this reason that so much 
of the iron which is painted at the factory 
receives a coating of such iron oxide paint. 

115. Bed lead, however, for priming 
iron is the ideal pigment for the purpose 
and stands in a class by itself— head and 
shoulders above all others. But for its 
greater cost and the greater difficulty of 
its application, there would not be any 
other used. 

116. As red lead has been so highly rec- 



146 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

ommended, the student will naturally want 
to know why it is so much superior and 
in what this superiority consists. Eed lead 
is the bi-oxide of lead, and, like all oxides 
of that metal, has the property of saponify- 
ing a portion of the oil used in its applica- 
tion with the brush and of hardening in a 
few days to a metallic solidity. It is for 
this reason that it is never found ground in 
oil ready for use as most other dry colors 
are, as it will settle at the bottom of the 
can and dry into a hard mass with so much 
of the oil as it has saponified. After red 
lead has dried once, although it has emul- 
sated a portion of oil, the soap thus made 
is insoluble, or it would not be so exten- 
sively used in jointing up glass in the mak- 
ing of aquariums. This lead soap dries 
bard and non-porous, and gives a perfectly 
weatherproof coat to the iron surface over 
which it is placed. It is not likely to be 
injured by abrasion as most any other 
paint would be on account of its metallic 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 147 

hardness. This alone would suffice to put 
it at the head of the list ; but with its other 
good qualities added, it must be considered 
as the king of them all. 

117. While red lead up to this point has 
had only its good qualities brought to view, 
it must be admitted that like every other 
good thing there is a dark side to it. 
Bed lead we have seen cannot be ground 
up in paste form before hand. This, how- 
ever would not amount to much, but that 
on account of its heavy weight and com- 
parative coarseness of its atoms, it will set- 
tle quickly and when painted out over the 
iron surface if not put on rather heavy and 
well brushed out, it ivill run. This, how- 
ever, would not amount to much, but that 
having on hand, or on large jobs a power 
paint mill and running the lead paint 
thinned for use through it, not more to be 
ground than will be used during the day. 
This grinding combines the red lead and 
linseed oil much better and it helps to sa- 



148 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

ponify it. Eed lead thinned so it could hard- 
ly be applied without running before giv- 
ing it such a grinding, will be found much 
thicker afterward and much easier to apply 
—from the saponification received in the 
grinding. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XVII 

111. What is said concerning the action 
of the elements on iron ? 

112. In what wav does galvanization of 
iron surfaces afford it protection? 

113. Can the oxidation of iron be pre- 
vented by painting it? 

114. What kind of pigments should be 
avoided in priming iron? 

115. What is the best pigment to use in 
the priming of iron ? 

116. What is said about the peculiari- 
ties of red lead? 

117. Can the running of red lead paint 
be prevented or lessened? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 149 

LESSON XVIII 

THE PAINTING OF IRON SURFACES 

118. In the previous lesson it was main- 
ly the consideration of the requirements of 
iron and steel that were noted and also that 
of the various pigments useful or other- 
wise for the preparing of the priming coat 
of paint. This lesson will treat mainly 
upon the preparing of the surface of the 
iron for painting and of the painting prop- 
er itself. 

119. The preparing of the surface of 
iron and steel previous to the painting is of 
as much importance as that of the painting 
itself is. If it has been well done, a good 
job of painting can be done over it. If this 
has been neglected, no matter how good the 
painting may be that is applied over it— 
trouble will surely follow. 

Two enemies of good painting on iron 
work, must be removed before anything in 
the way of applying the paint is commenced 



150 EXTEKIOR PAINTING 

on pain of making bad work of it. These 
enemies are scales and rust. 

120. Scales— these are to be fonnd on 
all iron work, especially upon rolled iron. 
Some of these scales are so loose that they 
can readily be pried off by inserting a 
chisel under them, others again are pretty 
hard to remove by hammering them, all 
such as can be taken off will give way and 
by proper use of scrapers and wire brushes, 
can be got rid of. It requires conscientious 
workmen on such a job as it is an easy mat- 
ter to slight it. 

121. Rust— The one greatest of the two 
enemies of iron or steel. It must be en- 
tirely removed from the surf ace of the iron 
to be painted and that is not always very 
easy to do. But as it is all important that 
it should be, no pain should be considered 
too great in order to do so. When it is 
known that rust produces more rust and 
that if any be left in ever so little a quan- 
tity will soon become a nucleus and center 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 151 

of propagating activity for the producing 
of more, no amount of extra work should 
he thought as thrown away in trying to get 
rid of it. 

There is but one way and that is to rub 
the surface faithfully with wire brushes 
until the rust is all removed. Patience, el- 
bow grease and the dust brush will accom- 
plish it if persevered in, 

122. When the surface has been well 
cleaned up the priming should not be de- 
layed a minute longer than necessary, be- 
cause dampness may set in and cause more 
rust and more cleaning of it will be nec- 
essary before painting again. 

It was said that red lead is a difficult 
paint to apply on account of its heaviness 
and consequent separating from the oil, so 
when it is used without grinding it in a 
paint mill previously, one should keep the 
paint rather thick, in order that it may not 
run after applying it. 

It is customary with many concerns to 



152 EXTEKIOE PAINTING 

add one-fourth part by weight of good Eng- 
lish Venetian red to three parts of red lead 
and of mixing thoroughly together. This 
of course will make its application very 
much easier and it may be all right— es- 
pecially if the Venetian red is a well-made 
one— but it surely would be all wrong, if it 
is not. 

The application itself requires care as 
can easily be imagined, for it must be well 
rubbed out, not merely as well rubbed out 
as a thick third coat would have to be on a 
wood building— but more, or it will surely 
run— if the red lead is used alone. 

If ground or rather run through the paint 
mill just before application, it will be much 
easier applied and while even then, it will 
require considerably more rubbing than 
ordinary paint, it will stand without run- 
ning much better than without it. 

If it has been mixed with the Venetian 
red as mentioned above, there will be no 
difficulty. 



EXTEKI0R PAINTING 153 

123. The all important portion of paint- 
ing lays mainly in the first coating as fully 
explained above. Iron is not near as ab- 
sorbent as wood, so that two coats all 
told including the priming, usually suffice 
to give a full gloss to the iron surface— es- 
pecially if the finishing coat is of a dark 
good covering tone ; but if the finish is to be 
white, it will be necessary to give an extra 
one or two coats of white over the priming, 
as it is not possible to give a very good 
cover in one coat of white over red lead. 

There is no special change in the treat- 
ment of the superadded coats and the colors 
should be mixed and applied in the ordi- 
nary way which was fully described in the 
painting of wooden buildings. (See para- 
graphs 66, 61 and 68.) 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON* XVIII 

118. Give a synopsis of this lesson. 

119. What are the two enemies of good 
painting on iron work? 



154 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

120. How are scales removed from iron 
surfaces ? 

121. How is rust removed from iron 
work? 

122. How should the priming coat be 
applied on iron surfaces ? 

123. How should the subsequent coats 
of paint be mixed and applied? 

LESSON XIX 

PAINTING GALVANIZED IRON SURFACES 

124. It is now the universal practice to 
do the finishing of store fronts, etc., cor- 
nices, etc., in galvanized sheet iron work. 
At least the cornice work will be of that 
metal, while the remainder of the building 
may be wood. There is really no absolute 
need of paint upon galvanized iron work 
that has been well done, as that is a much 
better protection to the iron than paint can 
possibly be. But for looks such must be 
painted in order to be in accord with the 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 155 

rest of the building if it be a wooden one, or 
to enhance its attractiveness if the whole 
surface is galvanized iron. 

When left in its natural tone there is no 
great attraction in an unpainted galvanized 
iron surface, and its look is cheap and un- 
satisfactory ; so paint is usually resorted to 
to beautify it ; also to bring out the details 
of the work by the use of color. 

But there is one trouble with the paint- 
ing of galvanized iron, which affects all 
painting done upon it when the galvanized 
work is first put up— it is very apt to scale 
off. This is due in part to non-porosity 
with a greasy surface. This greasiness is 
not apparent, but is there just the same. 
Letting the weather have its full effect 
upon it will in time remove it. Washing it 
off with dilute muriatic acid (1 part acid to 
6 parts water) will also help it— will help to 
prevent this tendency of the paint parting 
company with it. 

Another reason is that some of the metal- 



156 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

lie salt pigments form an electrical combi- 
nation with the zinc of the galvanized coat, 
and trouble results from this cause, too. 

125. Eed lead comes in as a cure for all 
the trouble here as well as for the painting 
of the pure iron surface as well, so that the 
remedy can be used in full assurance that it 
is fully effective. Eed lead does not com- 
bine with zinc electrically, as white lead 
will, and priming over any galvanized sur- 
face will be the very best treatment that 
can be given it. All that was said concern- 
ing this pigment heretofore will apply with 
equal force here. 

126. It will be necessary if the work has 
been recently erected to wash it over with 
the muriatic acid wash described above in 
order to kill the greasiness mentioned also. 
The priming will proceed directly, as men- 
tioned in the preceding lesson, and so for 
the superadded coats also. 

127. There are other metals employed 
in house construction that for beauty sake 



EXTEEIOft PAINTING 157 

are frequently painted such as copper or 
zinc sheeting. Neither being greatly af- 
fected by the elements, the painting cannot 
be said to be " for their preservation, ' ' but 
as said, to make them look in harmony with 
their surroundings. Either of these two 
can be safely primed with red lead only. 
The student not acquainted with chemistry 
can make no mistake by confining himself 
entirely to red lead for the priming of all 
metallic surfaces. Those who are well 
versed in that science might possibly devise 
some priming which would answer the pur- 
pose, but they, too, are advised not to ex- 
periment on anything valuable. If they 
confine themselves to red lead exclusively 
there will be no need of regrets afterward. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XVIX 

124. What is said regarding the paint- 
ing of galvanized iron surfaces? 

125. What pigment is recommended for 
the priming of galvanized iron? 



158 EXTERIOK PAINTING 

126. How should the painting proceed? 

127. How should other metallic surfaces 
(copper and zinc) be treated? 

LESSON XX 

THE PAINTING OF BRICK BUILDINGS 

128. All persons are more or less fa- 
miliar with brick buildings and with their 
usual conditions. It will be well to study 
them systematically in order to understand 
what is required and best fitted to give 
them the proper treatment for their pres- 
ervation. 

In breaking up a brick there becomes re- 
vealed to the naked eye a spongy mass of 
minute openings permeating the whole in- 
terior of its make-up, and extending to the 
outer surface. These openings during a 
rainy season absorb moisture readily and 
conduct it to the interior of the brick work. 
It is owing to this that so many brick build- 
ings are damp, anil that in some sections of 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 159 

the country the walls sweat so that little 
rivers can easily be started down the walls 
by simply running the hand down their 
sides. This is not so common in the mid- 
land section of the United States as it is 
in the extreme seaboard sections where the 
amount of rainfall is great and continuous 
at certain times of the year. But even in 
the Middle West there is some danger from 
moisture, especially if the plastering is 
done directly over the brick without lath- 
ing. 

While moisture will not affect a well- 
burned brick, it will eventually cause the 
decay of the soft ones. Besides this decay, 
moisture is a good carrier of sulphurous 
acid which is again eagerly received by the 
lime, of which the mortar is compounded, 
forming a new and soluble combination 
with it which in a few years leaves a mor- 
tarless joint and more trouble ahead. 

The only assurance a person can have 
that a brick building will be dry inside, and 



160 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

that the mortar will remain where it has 
been placed, is by the "sealing it up," i. e., 
coating it with something that is water- 
proof of itself and by properties inherent 
of itself. It will not be necessary to repeat 
here what has been fully explained in para- 
graphs 71 to 75. The action of paint as a 
preservative, and the manner in which it is 
done, applies with equal force to the paint- 
ing of brick buildings. 

129. There are some few variations in 
the methods used for painting brick build- 
ings wherein it differs from that mentioned 
as used in painting wood, and such will be 
noted where they occur. 

Wood, for instance, parts readily with 
any surface water it may have absorbed 
during a rainy spell ; but brick does not, es- 
pecially if there are many soft ones. Even 
when the outer brick are hard, it is custo- 
mary to use softer ones inside, and the 
hard brick will convey moisture to them. It 
will take two or three weeks of warm 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 161 

weather after a rainy spell to dry out an 
ordinary brick building to fit it for the 
priming coat of paint. For greater safety, 
the priming of a brick building should be 
delayed till summer or early autumn, when 
there is less rain than in the spring. 

130. The priming should be just a trifle 
thicker than described for the priming of 
wood in paragraphs 77 to 79. It should be 
well and thoroughly brushed in, and after a 
few minutes run over again in order to 
soak up and fill the brick all that can pos- 
sibly be absorbed. 

Hard brick will not absorb the paint as 
readily as the softer ones, so that it will 
depend upon their degree of hardness as to 
the quantity of material that will be 
needed, some requiring more than twice as 
much as others, 

131. The second coat over brick re- 
quires to be mixed a trifle heavier than for 
woodwork, but sufficiently fluid to soak up 
any portion that may not have been com- 



162 EXTEKIOK PAINTING 

pletely filled up with oil by the priming. 
On hard brick there will be but little more 
absorption, and on such it will be apt to 
dry with a pretty fair all-over gloss; but 
on the parts that are rather soft, the gloss 
will not be uniform. Of course, on soft 
brick the whole surface will be mostly flat. 

132. The third, or finishing coat, should 
be mixed and put on in exactly the same 
manner as described for woodwork in para- 
graph 68. 

This on either soft or hard brick will 
produce a good universal gloss which will 
shed water and afford a protection to the 
surface against the possibility of moisture 
entering it. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XX 

128. What is said in general about the 
painting of brick buildings ? 

129. What condition should the surface 
of brick buildings be in previous to the 
painting? 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 163 

130. How should the priming be mixed 
and applied? 

131. How should the paint be mixed and 
applied in the second coating? 

132. How is the third or finishing coat 
to be mixed and applied? 

LESSON XXI 

PAINTING BRICK BUILDINGS ( FLATTING) 

In the preceding lesson, all the painting 
operations described were done with a view 
of obtaining a glossy finish; but it fre- 
quently happens that such a finish is not 
desired on account of the glare which will 
bring out all the roughness on the face of 
the brick. On the contrary, if the paint 
finishing coat is done pat the defects be- 
come nearly invisible, and the general out- 
look of the surface of the building acquires 
the appearance of pressed brick— at a dis- 
tance at least. 

134. This flatting of the paint requires 
a special treatment and different handling 



164 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

of the painting as well as a different mix- 
ing of the paint itself; as this flatting is 
not done in the same way as it is usually 
done in interior flatting, for the very good 
reason that if it was mixed in the same 
way, it would soon be washed off by rains, 
as there would be no binding to hold it on. 
135. In order that flatting will hold on 
to exposed exterior painting, it must be 
well bound on to the surface; that is self- 
evident. But linseed oil used in even mod- 
erate quantities, let alone a sufficient quan- 
tity of it to make a good binder for the 
paint, would not produce a good flat and 
at best but a semi-flat, so some other thin- 
ner must be used in order to produce the 
dead -fiat required for the imitation of 
pressed brick so much admired. The color 
itself should be ground in some good japan 
—this will partially help to hold it on— 
and while it is not nearly so good as lin- 
seed oil for an exposed condition when 
applied, as will be described in succeeding 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 165 

paragraphs, the flatting will hold firmly 
and stand good for years. 

Nearly every color-grinder prepares va- 
riously colored reds and yellows to imitate 
the many different tones of brick, and no 
one should undertake to make or prepare 
his own from dry colors, for failure will be 
pretty sure to follow. 

136. The priming and second coat 
should be given in the usual way, as de- 
scribed in paragraphs 130 and 131. 

The third coat, too, should be put on in 
the usual way. It is all important, how- 
ever, that it be thinned with all raw linseed 
oil without dryers of any kind being added 
to it. The reason for this is that the dry- 
ing may proceed as slowly as possible, and 
that after the painting has commenced to 
set, that it may hold a tack as long as pos- 
sible. 

137. The painting of the flat coat re- 
quires more care in its application than the 
other coats, because the endings must be 



166 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

squared up to the mortar joint and must 
not extend beyond on the adjoining brick 
because by the time the next stretch is ap- 
plied it would have set and there would be 
a doubling up of the paint, which would 
show glossy. 

The paint, as taken out of the cans, must 
be thinned with turpentine only. 

Now in order to do a good job of flatting 
that ivill hold instead of waiting till the 
third coat has dried hard, as it has uni- 
versally been recommended before, the flat 
coat must be applied to it just as soon as 
it has set and while it is yet tacky. If done 
in that way the flat coat will be held on by 
the third coat, and really, it will become a 
part of third coat itself. 

This is the only sure ivay of binding it 
on so that it will hold. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XXI 

133. What is said concerning the flat- 
ting of brick buildings f 



EXTERIOR PAINTING 167 

134. Is the flatting on brick surfaces 
done in the usual manner ? 

135. How should the pigments be 
ground for brick flatting? 

136. How should the priming, second 
and third coat be put on for flatting? 

137. How should the flat coat be ap- 
plied? 

LESSON XXII 

REPAINTING BRICK WORK AND PENCILING 

138. The repainting of brick buildings 
does not differ in any respect from that of 
any other repainting already explained. 
It will depend upon the good or bad con- 
dition of the old paint itself as to whether 
it needs to be burned off or not. Usually, 
it is not necessary unless the old paint is 
scaling off badly or when there has been 
a great number of coats of paint put on 
for years, as it would be unsafe to add still 
more on to the already too numerous num- 
ber on it. There is always great danger of 



168 EXTERIOE PAINTING 

blistering after a dozen or more coats, and 
it is always best to burn it off in order to 
get a good foundation for a new clean job 
of painting. 

The painting or burning off of the old 
paint and of painting of the job afterward 
should proceed in exactly the same manner 
as described in the preceding lesson. 

139. Lining or striping of the mortar 
line is often resorted to in order to give the 
job a more natural appearance. When it 
is well done it certainly looks well; but it 
must be well done. If the mortar line is 
lined out straight there will be no trouble. 
If the mortar line is wavy, crooked and un- 
even, it will be better not to do that kind 
of work at all, as the straightening out of 
the lines would have to be done upon the 
face of the brick, which would make it look 
miserably poor. It is much better to leave 
it in its solid color, which will at least not 
call the attention of the beholder to the 
defects of the brick laying. 



EXTEEIOK PAINTING 169 

140. The color for the striping should 
be mixed rather short in order that a good 
clean edged line can be carried out. By 
short, is meant a word used by sign paint- 
ers to denote a paint which, in addition to 
linseed oil, has had a small quantity of pe- 
troleum oil added to it. This gives it the 
property of not spreading as much as it 
would without it and consequently of cut- 
ting clean-cut edges. 

The lining itself is not very difficult ; yet 
the man with the know how can do so much 
more of it with ease to himself than the 
novice can that it will look miraculous to 
him; nothing but time and practice will 
give one the proper speed. Fig. 14 illus- 
trates the form of the tool used in the lin- 
ing of the mortar. It is used in connection 
with a straight-edge. 

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XXII 

138. How is the repainting of brick 
walls to be done and prepared for! 



170 EXTERIOR PAINTING 

2391 What is said about the lining or 
striping of the mortar line? 
240. How is the mortar line striped? 



INDEX 

Accounts — to be kept in paint shop 72 

Appliances — used in exterior painting 60 

Atmospheric air — its action upon moist woods 26 

Base — for mixing tints 77 

Best pigments — for priming coats 94 

Blackish tints — how made 85 

Bluish tints — how made 84 

Brick buildings — how they should be painted 158 

Brick buildings — how to flat brick walls 165 

Brownish tints — how made 80 

Burning off old paint — with gasoline torches 131 

Chrome yellows — the tints made from them 83 

Coloring pigments — how prepared for the mixing of 

s tints 78 

Coloring pigments, how used in mixing tints 79 

Condition brick walls should be in for painting 167 

Condition of buildings needing to be repainted 167 

Condition wooden buildings should be in for paint- 
ing (new work) 102 

Drab tints — how made 80 

Drying of fixed oils 38 

Elements in the air injurious to wood, iron and brick. 26 

Enemies of wood, iron and brick 25, 26 

Fixed oils — what they are 36 

Fixed oils — how they dry 37 

Filling up old wood buildings with emulsion paint. .137 

Fixtures useful in the paint shop 69 

Flatting for brick painting — general remarks 164 

Flatting for brick painting — how applied 165 

Flatting for brick painting — how mixed 164 

Gasoline torches — for burning paint 131 

Galvanized iron — how it should be primed 154 

General remarks on applying paint 86 

General remarks — material and accessories 30 

General remarks — pigments 31 

General remarks — preparing and mixing tints 74 

General remarks — the painting of brick buildings . . . 163 

i 



11 INDEX 

General remarks — the painting of iron buildings . . i*2 
General remarks — the painting of wooden buildings . 100 

General remarks — thinners and vehicles 35 

General remarks — thinning the stock colors 94 

General remarks — tools and appliances 45, 60 

Green pigments — short description 32 

Groups of pigments — how divided 31 

Groups of tints — how divided 82 

How surfaces are protected by painting 25 

How the elements affect surfaces of brick 126 

How the elements affect surfaces of iron 143 

How the elements affect surfaces of wood 101 

How to kill knots for the painting of wood 41 

How to make shellac varnish . 42 

How to mix priming for iron 145 

How to mix priming for wood 108 

How to mix second coating for wood 112 

How to mix third coating for wood 113 

How to remove rust from iron surfaces 149 

How to remove scales from iron surfaces 150 

Iron surfaces — general remarks on painting them. . .142 

Iron surfaces — how they should be cleaned 149 

Iron surfaces— how they should be primed 145 

Iron surfaces — how they should be second and third 

coated 152 

Knots— how to kill with shellac varnish 41 

Ladders— used in exterior painting 62 

Linseed oil — (raw) 36 

Linseed oil — (boiled) 37 

Lining of mortar joints on brick walls 169 

Material used in exterior painting 30 

Mixing of tints for painting 74 

Oils— fixed 35 

Oils — volatile 38 

Ochres and the tints made from them 82 

Paint shop — what it should be « 69 

Painting brick surfaces 158 

Painting iron surfaces * 4 ^ 

Painting wood surfaces 10 ° 

Patent paint removers 13 

Petroleum volatile oils used in painting 38 

Preparing paints and tints '* 

Putty and its uses J J* 

Puttying— how it should be done ni 



INDEX 111 

Reasons why exterior surfaces should be painted .... 25 

Reddish tints — how made 53 

Red lead — for priming iron 146 

Red lead — for priming other metals 156 

Red lead — its peculiarities 147 

Red pigments — short description 32 

Resinous parts of wood — how to kill 41 

Rust on iron or steel — how to remove 149 

Sand paper and its uses 113 

Scales on iron — how to remove 148 

Shellac varnish — how to make 42 

Shellac varnish — how to use in killing knots, etc ... 43 

Striping of mortar joints on brick walls 170 

Surfacing or filling up old wooden buildings. 137 

Thinning the priming coat 94 

Thinning the second coat 95 

Thinning the third coat 97 

Tools used in exterior painting 45 

Trestles used in exterior painting 67 

Turpentine and its uses 38 

Volatile oils 38 

Volatile oils — turpentine 38 

Volatile oils — petroleum products 39 

Wooden buildings — how to prepare for painting. . . .109 
Wooden buildings — how to prepare for repainting . . 128 

Wooden buildings — how to prime (new work) 94 

Wooden buildings — how to second coat (new work) . 95 
Wooden buildings — how to third coat (new work) ... 97 

Wooden buildings — burning off old paint 130 

Wooden buildings — how to fill old wood 137 

Wooden buildings — how to prepare the paint for fill- 
ing 139 

Yellow pigments — short descriptions of 32 



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